(Bloomberg) — Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amhert has announced her resignation, in an unexpected move amid criticism of the country’s military procurement projects.
Mr. Amheld, 62, has been a member of the Swiss government leadership since 2019, all of that time spent leading the Pentagon. The government announced in a post on X on Wednesday that she would resign on March 31.
The announcement came after criticism from lawmakers, who in a letter earlier this month listed seven military projects that they identified as having serious problems, some of which she said were in the hands of the president. It existed before he took office. These included reconnaissance drones ordered in 2015 but not yet operational. The right-wing Swiss People’s Party called for her resignation.
Still, political analyst Michael Harman said Mr. Amheld would resign on his own accord and could have remained as prime minister.
“I think it was her plan to resign now,” he told Bloomberg. “She was tired of the office.”
The problems during Mr. Amheld’s tenure follow a checkered history of defense procurement in Switzerland. She took command of the department and pushed for significant increases in the Army’s budget. He has submitted a package to parliament that would spend 25.8 billion Swiss francs (about $28.3 billion) between this year and 2028, with almost half of that going to military arms and investment.
“Increasing polarization, the prevalence of meanness in political discourse and the growing assertion of special interests” are increasingly detrimental to “the preservation of our democratic institutions and Swiss values,” Amhert told reporters in Bern. He said he sees it becoming a problem.
She did not mention any other reasons for her resignation, only saying that after 30 years in politics, “the time has come to pass the baton.”
The Christian Democratic Centrist Union politician also held the office of president last year, a role she rotates among seven ministers each year.
During his time as president, Mr. Amheld also led negotiations between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) to renew bilateral relations. The two sides reached an agreement in December. Swiss voters still need to bless the deal in a referendum.
Parliament will elect Mr. Amheld’s successor as minister in mid-March, and he is expected to take office in April. Cabinet members may change, and he will not necessarily take over the Pentagon.
(Details will be updated from time to time)
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