Swiss government opposed to CHF15 billion defence package
The government has recommended that a motion to set up a special CHF15 billion ($16.4 billion) fund for the Swiss army and Ukraine be rejected by parliament.
Ministers also said that overriding Switzerland’s “debt brake” rules is not an option.
A motion by the Senate’s security policy committee recently called for a CHF15 billion package for the Swiss army and reconstruction in Ukraine, a plan which would involve bypassing the debt brake.
+ Switzerland’s fiscal policy: defence spending tug-of-war
The Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive body, has rejected this, as evident from its response to the proposal published on Thursday. It indicated that neither the army nor aid to Ukraine fulfilled the statutory requirements for extraordinary expenditure.
“The contribution amount can be controlled, which is why this expenditure cannot be recognised as extraordinary,” the response said.
According to the government, the creation of a fund under special legislation would have to be properly financed, whether through savings or additional revenue.
Adapted from German by DeepL/kp
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