Committee launched to find new Swiss army chief
The Swiss defence ministry has begun work to find a replacement for outgoing army chief Thomas Süssli. Defence Minister Martin Pfister has created a selection committee to examine the CVs of 50 officers.
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Pfister wants to limit the selection of the new army boss to corps commanders, divisional commanders and brigadiers, mostly professional soldiers.
He is thus seeking a different profile to that of the current army head, Thomas Süssli, who will be leaving at the end of the year. Süssli, a former banker and IT expert, was relatively unknown when he was appointed in 2019 and never managed to gain the full backing of his colleagues.
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The selection committee will have the choice of 50 senior officers, including one woman.
Know how to lead and communicate
According to observers, the future army chief will need two main skills: leadership and communication. The army is seeking to restore its image, after having come under fire from critics, including in parliament. It must also justify its larger budget.
Expectations are high, particularly in French-speaking Switzerland, where the military and elected officials want someone who speaks French, which was not the case for Süssli.
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“It would be more the turn of a French-speaking person, and we have some good ones,” says Stefan Holenstein, president of the Federation of Swiss Military Societies (FSM).
Several French-speaking Swiss in a good position
Several names are circulating, including three from French-speaking Switzerland. Vaud Corps Commander Laurent Michaud is often cited by observers as a clear favourite, due to his operational experience.
Other prominent figures include Neuchâtel divisional commander Alain Vuitel and Fribourg divisional commander Raynald Droz.
On the Swiss-German side, divisional figures Benedikt Roos and Rolf André Siegenthaler also are among the favourites.
The defence ministry has not set a specific timeline for the selection process. It simply states that it wants to proceed as quickly as possible.
Translated from French by DeepL/sb
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