SVP demands Viola Amherd’s resignation

The entire top of Swiss security policy was present at the traditional SVP cadre meeting in Bad Horn on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning – from army chief Thomas Süssli to Pascal Lüthi, the director of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, to Markus Mäder, the State Secretary for Security.

However, the focus of the conference was particularly on Defense Minister Viola Amherd. She wasn’t there. But the SVP called for her resignation as Federal Councilor at the meeting. “Resign, Ms. Amherd!” says a message sent by the SVP on Saturday afternoon. SVP President Marcel Dettling had previously confirmed the demand to CH Media.

Security is no longer guaranteed, says the SVP

At the meeting, the SVP came to the conclusion that security in Switzerland was no longer guaranteed. According to the SVP, the reasons for this are illegal migration, which endangers internal peace, imported crime, but above all a poorly led army.

The tenor at the conference was that Federal Councilor Amherd would rather deal with gender issues in the army than worry about the army’s equipment. There is also chaos in the defense department. The financing of the army is unclear, armaments projects are being squandered, and the army’s stocks have been thinned out.

Amherd is also torpedoing neutrality because she is gradually binding Switzerland to NATO and has welcomed EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as federal president.

“We will keep the pressure on Viola Amherd”

Ultimately, the problem that Switzerland’s internal and external security is no longer guaranteed lies with the leadership of the Defense Department, says SVP President Marcel Dettling. “We came to this conclusion at the Bad Horn management meeting. That’s why we demand Viola Amherd’s resignation.”

Amherd has his priorities wrong. She would rather have carpets laid out for prayer in the army than properly equip the army. In addition, it is forcing Switzerland’s rapprochement with NATO past parliament and thus torpedoing the country’s neutrality.

“We have to restore internal and external security,” says Dettling. That is why the SVP wants Defense Minister Viola Amherd to resign. He emphasizes: “We will keep the pressure on them high.”

The center reacts violently to the SVP’s demands

Center faction leader Philipp Matthias Bregy reacted violently to the calls for his resignation in an interview with CH Media – and accused the SVP of endangering the security of the country itself. “The SVP is engaging in political noise,” he says. “This is dubious because it destabilizes the institutions, which ultimately endangers the security of the country.”

Bregy also countered the SVP attack on X. “Comedy late night now in the early afternoon?” he asked. And further wrote: “Dear SVP, finally accept your government responsibility as a party, strengthen Switzerland instead of weakening the institutions and their members.”