“Citizens should do that!”

The deployment of soldiers and civil defense officers on the Lauberhorn has been criticized. A video distributed by the OC of the World Cup race in Wengen, BE, shows people in camouflage shoveling snow from the slope at 4am on Tuesday morning. “Cynical” that is in view of the war in Ukraine, for example, it says in the comments. “In other countries they fight for survival and in Switzerland the army fights to make sure a descent ‘happens’,” one writes.

Werner Salzmann (60), chairman of the Security Policy Committee of the Council of States, also says that army operations can always be questioned. It is clear that without the deployment of the military, there would be neither the World Cup competitions nor the federal wrestling and gymnastics festivals, which are important to the tourist location.

“Then we don’t have to make up shift days”

But the SVP man also says: ‘I’d rather the officials do that. Then we don’t have to make up service days of soldiers.” Unfortunately that wouldn’t work. Civil Service officers cannot be called upon by the federal government because – unlike the Army and Civil Defense – they are not organized into a formation. “This requires a new conscription model,” says Salzmann.

And that could be coming soon. Defense Minister Viola Amherd (60) is currently working on a major reform of the conscription model. Two versions are available:

• The “security conscription” variant provides for the amalgamation of civil service and civil protection into a new organisation. This is to ensure that civil protection can recruit sufficient personnel. Since the army has priority in recruitment, this variant would also provide the army with sufficient personnel.
• The second variant is the ‘needs-based conscription’, where conscription is extended to women. However, according to the Federal Council, only as many people would be recruited as the military and civil defense needed.

People have the last word

Amherd wants to present the reform to parliament in early 2024. But because the constitution has to be changed, the people have the last word. That could be in 2025 or 2026.

Salzmann wants to ensure that the variant of the security service prevails and that the civilian service is added. So that in a few years there will be no more soldiers shoveling snow in Wengen.