National Council overturns red lines Switzerland should be allowed to supply warring states with weapons

The National Council is turning Swiss export rules on their head: in future, war material could also be delivered to countries in the middle of armed conflicts. The conservatives see this as a strengthening of defense capabilities - the left speaks of a breach of the dam.

Keystone-SDA

02.12.2025, 09:38

02.12.2025, 11:40

SDA

In future, Swiss arms manufacturers should also be able to supply war material to countries in armed conflict. The transfer of weapons should also be possible in principle. This was decided by the National Council. The left wing of the Council is outraged.

In future, Swiss arms companies should also be able to supply war material to countries in armed conflict. The transfer of weapons should also be possible in principle. This was decided by the National Council. The left wing of the Council is outraged.

With 120 votes in favor, 63 against and 12 abstentions, the large chamber approved several relaxations to the War Material Act in the overall vote on Tuesday. These had been drafted by an alliance of the SVP, Center Party and FDP in the Security Policy Committee (SIK-N). The same conservative majority in the Council has now adopted the Commission's proposals.

A group of 25 Western countries should have significantly more freedom than at present when purchasing armaments in Switzerland. Even if they are involved in a war, Switzerland should be allowed to supply these countries. Only deliveries to countries that systematically and seriously violate human rights are to be excluded. And the Federal Council is to be given a right of veto - for example, if it considers neutrality to be at risk.

More lenient rules are also to apply to the re-export of weapons. In principle, all countries should in future be able to freely pass on armaments purchased in Switzerland. However, the Federal Council can also demand a guarantee that the armaments remain in the country of purchase - whenever it has concerns about neutrality or Switzerland's foreign and security policy interests.

Civilians argue with defense capability

The main reason put forward by those in favor of the planned relaxation was security policy considerations. Thomas Hurter (SVP/SH) argued that the "Lex Defense Capability" would strengthen the Swiss army. A functioning arms industry is needed. Today, many countries avoid Swiss arms companies.

Heinz Theiler (FDP/SZ) noted that Switzerland had lost part of its indispensable armaments industry, valuable know-how and countless jobs over the past three years - after far-reaching relaxation of export regulations had been rejected. The new regulation is not about blind exports, but about safeguarding armed neutrality.

"A domestic armaments industry can only exist if it can also export, namely to our neighboring countries, to countries that are friends of ours and to countries that have a similar export control regime to ours," said Reto Nause (Center/BE). Today, the Swiss War Material Act is the most restrictive in Europe.

Left-wing alliance wants to fight relaxation

While the conservatives want to help the struggling Swiss arms industry, the left sees red lines being crossed. Representatives of the SP and the Greens in the large chamber argued that the relaxation of arms export rules violated the law of neutrality. The bill would jeopardize Switzerland's credibility.

In future, direct and indirect exports of weapons would also be possible to countries in civil war, the opponents criticized. It would also be possible to transfer weapons to unjust states in which serious human rights violations are committed and which use weapons against their own population.

At the same time, it would still be prohibited to supply weapons to Ukraine, although the revision was originally justified by the Russian attack on Ukraine. "This is a 'lex arms industry' that does not help Ukraine," said Balthasar Glättli (Greens/ZH).

The regulation contradicts Switzerland's foreign and security policy interests and is detrimental to the promotion of peace and human rights. Priska Seiler Graf (SP/ZH) has already announced that a broad left-wing alliance will launch a referendum against the softening of the War Material Act.

The bill will first go back to the Council of States.