Former army chief Philippe Rebord is one of the authors of the recent security report commissioned by Viola Amherd. According to this document, the situation has deteriorated considerably in Europe. Switzerland must prepare itself militarily, declared the former Valais officer on Tuesday in La Matinale.
The war in Ukraine has reshuffled the cards of security in Europe, says the head of the army from 2017 to 2019. “Russia’s intervention changes all paradigms,” says Philippe Rebord.
The former corps commander, who had left his duties for health reasons, gave a brief overview of military strategy: “When dealing with a potential opposing army, you have to measure its capabilities and its willingness to engage these capabilities. If you have neither, you are not a threat. There, clearly, there are capabilities and a potential willingness. It is therefore a question of preparing,” argues the career soldier.
The former senior officer admits that kyiv and Zurich are a good distance from each other. But he describes a Russian attack on a Baltic country to test NATO’s response as a “very serious threat.” According to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the allies owe each other mutual assistance. “If NATO did not react, NATO would prove that its system is not reliable,” Philippe Rebord considers.
>> Read about the security report published in August: Federal Commission Presents 100 Recommendations for Tomorrow’s Swiss Security
Citizen soldiers to be fully equipped
For him, the situation requires being able to equip the Swiss soldiers properly. Indeed, he indicates that some of the troops do not have enough equipment. “For example, out of our 17 infantry battalions, we can equip a maximum of 6 or 7. This is not credible,” says the man who served in this branch.
Re-equipping the army’s 100,000 men will take 20 years, he said.
He also asks to guarantee the numbers and to “restore the nobility of the obligation to serve”. Because in his eyes, the most important thing is “the citizen-soldiers”.
In Switzerland, neutrality has been somewhat mythologized.
Parliament follows the same line and considers that the army must be better equipped. The federal legislature agreed last week to allocate an additional 4 billion francs for the years 2025-2028.
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>> To read again on this subject: After a lively debate, the Chambers grant 4 billion more to the army for the years 2025-2028
Redefining neutrality
The security report, published in August, also recommends getting closer to NATO, in particular by sending soldiers on exercises with the military alliance. This is an approach that the UDC contests, which believes that neutrality would be undermined. “Getting closer does not mean joining,” maintains Philippe Rebord. “It is legitimate to train with the only partner that could operate with us (…). Neutrality allows us to form an alliance if necessary.”
And he goes on to say: “In Switzerland, neutrality has been somewhat mythologized. At the time, it was necessary to contribute to the cohesion of the country. I think that this was beneficial.” However, neutrality “is not an end in itself. It is a tool of security policy. It is the Federal Council that decides how it wants to use it,” he argues.
The principle must therefore be questioned, according to the Valaisan. “We must re-establish the fundamentals to clarify the debate,” he believes, recalling that Sweden and Finland recently joined NATO. “The last report on neutrality dates back to the 1990s. We are in another world.”
>> Review the 7:30 p.m. news item on the appointment of Philippe Rebord as head of the army:
Interview by Delphine Gendre
Web text: Antoine Michel
