Swiss Defense Minister Resigns Amid Criticism Over Military

(Bloomberg) — Swiss defense minister resigns, in an unexpected move that comes amid criticism of procurement projects for the nation’s military.

Amherd, 62, had been a member of Switzerland’s executive since 2019, spending all of that time leading the defense department. She will step down on March 31, the government said in a post on X on Wednesday.

The announcement follows criticism from lawmakers, who in a letter earlier this month listed seven military projects in which they identified large problems, some of which existed prior to her time in office. These included reconnaissance drones which were ordered in 2015 and are still not usable. The right-wing Swiss People’s Party demanded defense minister resigns.

Still, Amherd could have continued in office, according to political analyst Michael Herrmann, who said she is leaving on her own terms.

“I believe it was her plan to resign now,” he told Bloomberg. “She was tired of the office.”

Amherd’s problems in office follow a bumpy history of defense procurement in Switzerland. At the helm of the department, she drove a significant increase of the army budget. She presented a package to parliament that foresees as much as 25.8 billion Swiss francs ($28.3 billion) in spending from this year through 2028, almost half of it channeled into armaments and investments.

Addressing reporters in Bern, Amherd said that she sees “growing polarization, spreading spitefulness in political discourse and the increased assertion of special interests” as increasingly problematic for “our democratic system and the preservation of Swiss values.”

She didn’t give other reasons for her departure, saying only that after 30 years of political work, “it’s time to pass on the baton.”

A politician of the Christian-democratic Center Alliance, she also held the country’s presidency last year, a role that rotates among the seven ministers each year.

During her presidency, Amherd also led Switzerland’s negotiations with the European Union over a revamp of bilateral relations. Both sides agreed on a deal in December. Swiss voters still have to give the agreement their blessing in a plebiscite.

Parliament is expected to elect Amherd’s successor as a minister in mid-March, who is then set to take over in April. He or she will not necessarily take over the defense department, as it is also possible that the ministers rotate jobs and the result is defense minister resigns.

(Updates with further details throughout)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com