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The morale of the militias and the army is “at its lowest, disillusioned and frustrated.” This was the feeling that prevailed at the last general assembly of the Association of Swiss Military Companies (ASM) which was held last weekend in Bern. At its conclusion, it sounded the alarm in a press release that was virulent to say the least. The country’s largest military militia organization, with more than 200,000 members, denounces the “immobility” of parliament and political parties in the face of rising risks. Update with the president of the ASM since 2021, Zurich resident Stefan Holenstein. Doctor of civil law, this staff colonel also chaired the Swiss Society of Officers between 2016 and 2021.
Anger, incomprehension, disappointment… Your words are strong against the political class in the face of the security situation in the country. Why this position?
Because the facts are clear. This February 24 marks 4 years since the return of war to Europe. In 2022, parliament reacted immediately by deciding to gradually increase military spending towards 1% of GDP, by 2030 at the latest. It was a positive signal. But since then, things have not progressed an inch. We, a rich country, remain around 0.7%. In European comparison, this is very low. Germany, for example, now exceeds 2%, and several countries are aiming for 3.5%, or even 5%. This is the source of our frustration. Switzerland is now a gap in Europe’s security, while federal sessions follow one another without leading to a solution capable of rallying a majority. The bourgeois camp groups cannot reach an agreement, already competing for the federal elections of 2027. And what about the Socialist Party, whose program still calls for the abolition of the army?
