This is how the SVP responds to the praise of pro-Russian hacktivists who attack the hacktivist-attacked Swiss website of the federal councils

On Thursday at 2 p.m., Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the United Federal Assembly via video link. Pro-Russian hackers took the opportunity to attack websites of the federal government, the cantons and the city government. State-related companies such as the SBB and the postal service were also hit.

In a statement, the cybercriminals now praised the SVP, whose MPs are staying away from Zelensky’s speech.

The hackers crashed the websites by overloading the systems with numerous requests sent at the same time. However, no data was stolen.

The hacker group, which calls itself “NoName”, explained its attack on the Telegram news service: Selenskyj wanted to beg the Swiss parliament for money in a video speech. It is noteworthy that “reasonable Swiss” oppose the “wild behavior” of the Ukrainian “silent president”.

How does the SVP respond?

The cybercriminals referred to the head of the Swiss People’s Party. That’s what you meant SVP party chairman Thomas Aeschi, who wrote on Twitter: “Ukraine is trying to directly influence the parliamentary decision on arms and ammunition stockpiles. Our neutrality is being violated!”

When asked, Aeschi explained that the SVP had no contact whatsoever with the hackers. He did not want to comment on the commendation of the People’s Party in the statement of “NoName”.

The faction leader emphasized that the weakening of Swiss neutrality was only one of the reasons why SVP parliamentarians stayed away from Zelenskyj’s speech. “It is also important to consider that the separation of powers is being violated,” Aeschi said. A foreign president must address the Bundesrat and not the parliament. “It doesn’t fit the level, it’s the wrong format.”

Christopher Blocher meanwhile emphasized on “Tele Blocher” that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke in Bern and Zurich during his visit to Switzerland after World War II, but did not appear before the federal parliament. That was fine. The SVP also did not attend Mikhail Gorbachev’s speech in the National Council chamber in 2000 – because that was a break in style.

Individual MPs from the SVP may listen to Zelenskyj’s speech on Thursday. “I haven’t made a decision yet,” he said Schaffhausen State Councilor Hannes Germann. The decision of the parliamentary group that the party should stay away from Zelensky’s speech is not binding – each member of parliament decides according to his own knowledge and conscience.

And the SP?

The SVP clearly failed at the beginning of the month with a point of order, according to which Zelenskyj’s appearance in the National Council Chamber should be cancelled: the request fell through by 128 votes to 58. SP co-chair Cédric Wermuth accused the People’s Party of “cancelling culture on behalf of Moscow”.

The attacks of the pro-Russian hackers are now causing discussions in the People’s Party. SVP National Councilor Lukas Reimann explained: If the Russian state authorities are found to be involved in these activities, it should be considered a “military attack on Switzerland”. “Then the Confederacy must defend itself and take countermeasures.”

It will be difficult to prove that the Russian state is involved in the cyber attacks. Cedric Wermuth stressed that the federal government must now respond with the following means:

The federal prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal case in response to the cyber attacks. The group “NoName” ended its statement about the attacks in Switzerland with the exclamation: “Victory will be ours!” Next to it hung the Russian flag.

(aargauerzeitung.ch)