Wires run hot in the Swiss secret service

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“In February 2022, Russia destroyed the decades-old European security order with its war of aggression in Ukraine,” the Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) said in its security report last year. The war of aggression will have lasting consequences for national and international security policy.

The tipping point is also noticeable in the Swiss secret service led by director Christian Dussey (58). The exchange of information with foreign intelligence services has risen to a new record, FIS spokeswoman Isabelle Graber confirms to Blick. “In 2022, the FIS received about 14,900 reports from foreign partner services and the FIS sent about 6,900 reports to foreign partner services.”

Almost 22,000 reports went back and forth. More than 10 percent more than last year. The secret service does not provide concrete information about the content. So much: “This increase is, of course, due to the war in Ukraine,” says Graber.

Fewer partner services

According to Graber, the FIS worked “with more than 100 foreign partner services”. The Secret Service does not give more details.

It will probably be fewer than in previous years, because the Bundesrat has revised the list of foreign contacts at the behest of Parliament’s audit delegation. In its annual report, the audit delegation writes that “several partner services have been removed from the list”. She rates the consolidation of the partner service list as “successful”.

The staff is expanding

The increase in reports is accompanied by a further growth of the Swiss secret service. Last year, the FIS had some 390 full-time jobs – further expansion is planned for this year. Expenditures and investments of CHF 116 million have been budgeted for the current year. It’s going up here too.

15 million francs go to the cantons to finance their cantonal security services. The cantons of Zurich (2.2 million), Geneva (2 million) and Bern (1.8 million) receive the most support.

An additional amount of CHF 3 million is reserved for “cantonal observation units”. Which cantons benefit from this remains a secret. Because: “The FIS does not comment publicly on its operational activities and procedures.”

Source:Blick