A compromise on the War Material Act has only just been reached. In an interview published on Wednesday with the Tamedia newspapers, FDP president Thierry Burkart (47) is now praying on both the left and the right. “With its refusal to amend the War Material Act, the SVP is heralding the slow death of our arms industry,” Burkart said.
Swiss arms companies should be able to export in order to survive. Without the possibility of re-exporting in an emergency, nobody would buy Swiss war material anymore – and armed neutrality would not be possible without its own arms industry.
“Everyone interprets neutrality in the way that suits them”
“At the moment, European solidarity means military solidarity,” said the FDP chairman in the left-green direction. “Anyone who wants to ban the re-export of Swiss arms because they are generally against the arms industry is not acting neutrally, but helping Russia.”
In general, according to Burkart, an “arbitrary neutrality” prevails. “Everyone interprets them in the way that suits them. There is only agreement that Switzerland does not participate in wars and does not unilaterally supply arms to a warring party.”
Burkart called for a more systematic definition of Swiss neutrality and recalled the Cold War: “Even during the Cold War, Switzerland was embedded in the Western community of values, despite its neutrality. In 1951, for example, she joined the boycott against the communist states. Anyone who rejects sanctions against Russia today is not defending traditional neutrality, but is giving a new interpretation that has never existed in this way.”
After criticism from abroad, the transfer of Swiss weapons should be allowed in exceptional cases and after a period of five years. The responsible National Council Committee had proposed a compromise with several conditions on Tuesday. Groenen and SVP had reportedly spoken out against it. (SDA)
Source:Blick
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