Defense Outgoing head of the Swiss Armed Forces takes stock of his time in office
According to outgoing army chief Thomas Süssli, the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 only gave Switzerland a short-term wake-up call on defense issues. However, the ability to respond to threats has still not been sufficiently strengthened.
02.12.2025, 12:20
SDA
Overall, at a media conference on Tuesday at the end of his six-year term at the helm of the army, the man from Aargau gave a mixed assessment. He noted that the army had gained in visibility since he took office.
At the same time, he regretted that he had not succeeded in sufficiently explaining the needs of the army and the need to strengthen its defense. This is all the more true as Russia continues to be a threat and is trying to divide the West.
Süssli had been head of the army since January 2020. Shortly after he took office, the Federal Council ordered the mobilization of 5,000 members of the armed forces for the first time since the Second World War due to Covid-19. One week after the army's last coronavirus deployment, the war returned to Europe.
