Switzerland Set for Defense Shakeup After Series of Mishaps

(Bloomberg) — Switzerland’s government said the chiefs of the army and the intelligence service are leaving their jobs, setting up a broad revamp of the country’s defense leadership after a series of mishaps.

Thomas Suessli, 58, who leads the armed forces, will step down at the end of this year and secret service head Christian Dussey, 59, at the end of March 2026, the government said on Wednesday, confirming earlier media reports.

That comes after Defense Minister Viola Amherd announced last month that she will leave as of March 31 after years of problems in Swiss military procurement and funding.

Speaking in Bern on Wednesday, Amherd said that the resignations are a “usual, normal process and now there’s time for the succession plan.” 

Lawmakers late last year identified major problems in seven key defense projects, including reconnaissance drones which were ordered in 2015 and still aren’t usable. The army also faces significant uncertainties in its long-term financial planning while it tries to ramp up its capabilities in the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Neutral Switzerland isn’t a member of NATO and spent the equivalent of just 0.74% of gross domestic product on defense in 2023, though there are plans to raise that to 1% by 2032.

Amherd’s successor in Switzerland’s Federal Council — the seven-minister cabinet that is the country’s executive — will be elected by parliament on March 12. Candidates are Markus Ritter, who heads the farmers’ lobby, and Martin Pfister, the health minister of the canton of Zug.

While it’s possible that the councilors trade portfolios after the election, it’s likely that Amherd’s successor will follow her into the defense ministry. Given the political troubles associated with the department, no incumbent minister is expected to want it.

(Updates with Amherd comment in fourth paragraph. An earlier version of this story corrected the publication date of lawmaker complaint in what is now the fifth paragraph.)

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.