Swiss finance committee: Army finances all good, no action needed

The Swiss Finance Committee has concluded that the Swiss army does not have a funding problem, but rather a communication problem, after a hearing with Defence Minister Viola Amherd. The issue arose after Swiss public television reported that the Swiss Armed Forces would lack CHF1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) by the end of 2025 to pay for defence purchases. Army Chief Thomas Süssli disputed this, stating that the army had a liquidity bottleneck rather than a financial shortfall. Defence Minister Amherd contradicted Süssli’s statement, saying that the army is capable of paying its bills. The Senate security policy committee and the House of Representatives finance committee discussed the issue, wherein Defence Minister Amherd admitted that mistakes had been made in communication and that clearer information was needed. The finance committee concluded that there is no financial gap in the armed forces and that poor communication caused the issue.