The 50-day grace period for Federal Councillor Martin Pfister ends today. At 10 a.m., the new Minister of Defense and Sport will publicly present his security policy priorities for the first time.
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- Federal Councillor Martin Pf ister has been in office for 50 days. On Monday, he presented his priorities at a weapons range in Jura.
- There is a lot to do. An agreement with the EU is expected. He also has to make personnel decisions.
- There is also the army budget, which is set to increase by 2023.
Martin Pfister was still in Stockholm at the weekend, watching the semi-finals of the Ice Hockey World Championship. On Monday morning, the new Minister of Defense was back on duty. At 10 a.m., he appeared before the media at the Bure JU military base - and presented his security policy priorities around 50 days after taking office.
Pfister emphasized that Switzerland must take greater control of its own security in view of the current geopolitical situation. Russia's attack on Ukraine was a "breakthrough" and hybrid threats such as espionage and cyber attacks were on the rise. It is now necessary to act "quickly and decisively".
The reason, according to the neo-Federal Councillor: "The security of Europe, and therefore of Switzerland, is more at risk than it has been for decades."
Pfister now feels at home in the Federal Palace
According to his department's press release, Pfister has three priorities: strategically developing security policy, strengthening the army's defense capabilities and consolidating trust in the DDPS. To this end, an initial Swiss security policy strategy is to be developed - under the leadership of the State Secretariat for Security Policy.
Before taking office, Pfister said that he felt more comfortable in a barracks than under the dome of the Federal Palace. This has since changed: "After 50 days in office, I can assure you that I have also settled in well in the Federal Palace."
The army is to focus more on defense in the future. With the planned increase in the army budget to one percent of GDP by 2032, new artillery systems, more ammunition, modern IT and improved air defense are to be financed. Pfister also wants to review the army's command structure.
Security package with the EU - resistance looms
International cooperation remains a key issue. Even before the media conference, the "Aargauer Zeitung" reported that a security agreement with the EU could become an important project for Pfister.
The aim would be to secure Switzerland's access to the new 150-billion-euro armaments program "Safe". However, political resistance is inevitable - especially from the SVP, which sees neutrality at risk.
In addition to strategic issues, trust in the DDPS is also at stake. Pfister announced that internal structures would be streamlined and major projects would be monitored more closely. The tasks are demanding, said Pfister. But if any country has the skills to meet this challenge, then it is Switzerland.