Switzerland’s neutrality on the line as debate over arming Ukraine heats up | – #Switzerlands #neutrality #line #debate #arming #Ukraine #heats
ZURICH, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Switzerland is close to breaking centuries of tradition as a neutral state, as public and political the shift in sentiment towards Ukraine pressures the government to end the ban on Swiss weapons exports for the war. zones.
Buyers of Swiss weapons are legally barred from re-exporting them, a restriction that some who represent the country’s large arms industry say hurts trade.
Calls from Switzerland’s European neighbors for Kiev to allow such transfers grew louder as the Russian offensive intensified and of parliament two safety committees recommended that regulations be relaxed accordingly.
MPs have a difference of opinion on the issue.
“We want to be neutral, but we are part of the western world,” he said, urging the government to allow re-exports of weapons to countries with similar democratic values. offer Thierry Burkart, leader of the center-right FDP party, said. to Switzerland.
Under Swiss neutrality, which dates back to 1815 and was established by treaty in 1907, Switzerland will not send arms directly or indirectly to belligerents in war. he Ukraine and imposes a separate embargo on arms sales to Russia.
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Third countries can theoretically apply to Bern to re-export Swiss weapons in their stockpiles, but permission is almost always denied.
“We should not have a veto to stop others from helping Ukraine. If we do this, we support Russia, which does not take a neutral position,” Burkart told Reuters.
“Other countries want to support Ukraine, do something for the security and stability of Europe… They cannot understand why Switzerland should say no.”
A growing number of Swiss voters agree. A Sotomo poll published on Sunday found that 55% of respondents were in favor of allowing the re-export of weapons to Ukraine.
Lucas Golder, co-director of the GFS-Bern survey, said, “If we had asked this question before the war… the answer would probably have been less than 25%. Talking about changing neutrality was taboo in the past,” he said. Reuters.
MONEY TALKS?
The government – under pressure from abroad after rejecting requests from Germany and Denmark for permission to re-export Swiss armored vehicles and ammunition for anti-aircraft tanks – parliament said that he will not prejudge the discussions.
Bern, a spokeswoman for the Department of Economic Affairs, which oversees arms trade issues, said it “adheres to the existing legal framework … and will deal with proposals in due course.”
Burkart, from other parties in the divided legislature law said that he received positive signals about the change.
Left leaning Social The Democrats say they support the changes, as do the Green Liberals, although the Greens oppose it.
from the Green Party deputy Marionna Schlatter said allowing arms to Ukraine risks a “slippery slope” towards lifting all restrictions and is incompatible with Swiss neutrality.
Meanwhile, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the largest party in the lower house and traditionally staunch defenders of neutrality, now appears divided.
“To allow arms to be sent to a country engaged in armed conflict … is to destroy the foundation of peace and prosperity in our country,” said SVP Legislator David Zuberbueler.
Parliament SVP member Werner Salzmann, who sits in its upper house, disagrees and raises concerns daily in the Aargauer Zeitung about collateral damage to the Swiss defense industry, which law supports the change campaign.
The sector, which includes multinationals Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall, will export 800 million Swiss francs ($876 million) in 2021, according to government data. dollars) worth of weapons, making it one of the top 15 global exporting countries.
Having a powerful arms industry goes hand-in-hand with a tradition of neutrality, but the balance of that duality may now be under threat, industry association SwissMem said.
“Some of our members have lost their contracts or are no longer investing in Switzerland due to the current restrictions,” said SwissMem director Stefan Brupbacher.
“Our current situation weakens our security policy…, hinders the credibility of our foreign policy and damages our companies,” he said. “It’s time to change.”
($1 = 0.9132 Swiss francs)
By John Revill report; Edited by John Stonestreet and Hugh Lawson
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2023-02-07 00:18:49
Source – reuters
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