GSoA wants to defend itself against army rearmament plans
Published: Sunday, May 5th 2024, 15:10
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At its general assembly in Solothurn, the Group for a Switzerland without an Army (Gsoa) passed a resolution "against the billion-euro armament plans of the bourgeoisie". Instead, it calls for "a sober threat analysis".
Gsoa Secretary Jonas Heeb was quoted in a press release on Sunday as saying that the Swiss army's rearmament plans are not based on a realistic threat, but on empty security promises. Instead of "haphazardly pumping billions into armaments", the Gsoa is calling for a security policy that is based on "realistic threat scenarios such as disaster prevention or the climate crisis".
Support for the nuclear weapons ban initiative
The 50 participants at the meeting had previously decided to support the text of the initiative to ban nuclear weapons. This is to be launched in the summer. It calls on the Federal Council to accede to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
The popular initiative was launched by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Switzerland is a member of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It includes a ban on the proliferation of nuclear weapons, a commitment to disarmament and the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Federal Council against Switzerland's accession
Last year, the TPNW came into force alongside the NPT. It contains a comprehensive and explicit ban on nuclear weapons, i.e. prohibits the use, threat of use, production, stockpiling, acquisition, possession, deployment, transfer and testing of nuclear weapons and support for these prohibited activities.
Switzerland is not a member of this treaty. It was only at the end of March that the Federal Council decided not to sign and ratify the treaty. It considers the treaty to have little impact because it is not recognized by the owners of nuclear weapons, but also by almost all Western and European countries.
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