Swiss ‘could lose military contracts’ over re-export restrictions
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Switzerland's stance on the re-export of arms to Ukraine makes it a less reliable supplier of military hardware to European partners, says former EU chief negotiator Christian Leffler.
This content was published on
2 minutes
La Liberté/ac
Italiano
it
La Svizzera “potrebbe perdere contratti militari” a causa delle restrizioni alla riesportazione
“In future, countries will think twice before placing orders with Switzerland,” the Swede said in an interview published in the La Liberté paper on Monday. He warned that the Swiss military industry runs the risk of losing contracts.
Several states are finding that Switzerland is not as reliable as they thought, added the former negotiator, who called for an end to “political acrobatics”. In his view, Switzerland must quickly authorise the sale, resale and transfer of arms and munitions to Ukraine, and also better track the money of oligarchs.
Switzerland is under strong international pressure to allow re-exports of Swiss-made weapons. Spain, Germany and Denmark, among others, have requested that Swiss-made war materiel be sent to Kyiv. The Swiss government has so far always opposed this, invoking the law of neutrality and the law on war materiel.
Two interventions calling for a relaxation of the re-export provisions failed in the spring session of parliament. Several parliamentary initiatives on this subject are still pending.
Switzerland has also recently been called upon to do more to track down the money of Russian oligarchs. Several ambassadors of the G7 states have demanded in a letter for the Swiss government to take stronger action.
Swiss court ruling: only mothers have legal say in abortion cases
This content was published on
Switzerland’s highest court has ruled against the father of an aborted child, who had sued his ex-partner for terminating pregnancy at an advanced stage.
Shooter and mountain-biker to carry Swiss flag at Olympics opening
This content was published on
Sports shooter Nina Christen and mountain-biker Nino Schurter will be the Swiss delegation’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony of the Paris Game on Friday.
UBS questioned by US Senator over $350 million tax evasion case
This content was published on
UBS has been asked by a powerful US lawmaker about whether Credit Suisse failed to report an American accused of evading taxes on $350 million in income.
Half of Swiss back fireworks as part of national day celebrations
This content was published on
A survey shows that while half the population says fireworks are an important part of August 1 festivities, a majority are against them being set off by private individuals.
Switzerland’s drug approval process lags behind Europe
This content was published on
According to a recent study, medicines are approved on average 249 days later in Switzerland than by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Non-believers significantly underrepresented in Swiss parliament
This content was published on
While non-believers make up the largest group in the Swiss population at around 34%, they rank only third in Parliament with just 23%.
Swiss NGO offices in Ukraine hit by Russian strike
This content was published on
On Wednesday morning, the offices of the "Fondation suisse de déminage" (FSD) were struck by a Russian missile in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine.
This content was published on
A group of climate protesters blocked the road to Zurich Airport on Wednesday morning. The police quickly cleared the demonstration.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.