But the government has been dogged by allegations of questionable behaviour during the procurement process and faces yet another possible challenge by referendum.
In July, Swiss public broadcaster SRF revealed a failed last-ditch French effort to persuade Switzerland to buy its Rafale jets.
The parliamentary audit body said it was “worrying” that more weight was given to technical specifications than the political or economic consequences of rival bids. This made it difficult to assess which deal was in the best overall interests of the country.
Defence Minister Viola Amherd was also chided for delays in sending information to other ministers, which was deemed “inappropriate” by the audit committee. But the probe also found that no minister had broken the procurements law.
The report apportioned no blame to the Federal Armaments Office for any problems during the fighter fleet procurement.
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Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Glaciers over 3,000m can be preserved via better climate protection
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Stronger global climate protection could preserve more than a quarter of the ice in the Swiss Alps, says the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences (SCNAT).
Swiss UN rapporteur urges Washington to release Columbia University student
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The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Nicolas Levrat, and eight other legal experts, have called on the US to release Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil.
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Nestlé plans to close its factory in Germany at Neuss, near Düsseldorf, by mid-2026. The Swiss food giant also plans to sell its Conow plant, near the Polish border, early next year.
UBS mulls moving HQ abroad, according to media report
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The Swiss bank UBS could relocate its Swiss headquarters abroad if capital demand is not reduced, Bloomberg News reports.
SWISS cancels flights to London’s Heathrow Airport after power station fire
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Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) says it has cancelled all flights from Geneva and Zurich to Heathrow Airport on Friday following a huge fire at a power sub-station.
Swiss government to deport rejected asylum seekers from Afghanistan
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The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is changing its asylum policy for Afghanistan. Single men with rejected applications can now be deported.
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Swiss voters could have final say on buying new US fighter jets
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A left-wing coalition has gathered enough signatures to challenge the government’s plan to buy F-35A fighter jets from the US.
Swiss fighter jet document reveals secret French tax offer
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France allegedly offered Switzerland a financial sweetener worth CHF3.5 billion to buy its Rafale fighter jets rather than US F-35A aircraft.
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Defence Minister Viola Amherd is standing by the government’s decision to buy F-35A jets despite pushback from a left-wing coalition.
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