National Council: Green Light for Additional Army Deployment in Bosnia

The lower house adopted the corresponding federal resolution on Thursday by a vote of 125 to 63, against the will of the SVP. However, the majority of the National Council wants a higher maximum troop strength for the mission—up to 36 military personnel—than the Federal Council had requested.

The federal government proposed deploying a maximum of twelve additional Swiss Armed Forces personnel to support the multinational European Union Force (Eufor Althea) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A minority motion by the SVP to follow the Federal Council on this matter failed in the Council, as did a previous motion to dismiss the proposal.

According to the Federal Council, the additional deployment is limited to the year 2027, i.e., the period during which Austria will provide the mission commander. Austria itself will deploy more than a hundred additional military personnel next year, in addition to the 200 soldiers already on duty, and has requested support from Switzerland.

According to the Federal Council, the additional military personnel are to be deployed in the areas of transport and logistics. The deployment of an additional twelve military personnel is expected to cost 2.31 million, according to the Federal Council.

Switzerland has been supporting the EUFOR Althea mission since 2004, with twenty military personnel to date. The mission is based on a resolution of the UN Security Council. The mandate was most recently extended last year.

Next, the Council of States must decide on the draft.