Keller-Sutter pleads for less rapid army build-up
Published: Tuesday, Dec 3rd 2024, 11:30
Updated At: Tuesday, Dec 3rd 2024, 10:50
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Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter warned against a faster increase in the army at the start of the budget debate in the National Council on Tuesday. "As long as we don't really know how we are going to finance this, it will be difficult."
If parliament wants to increase spending on the army to one percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as early as 2030 and not in 2035, there will no longer be any room for maneuver in terms of financial policy, said Keller-Sutter. "Then they might also have to discuss additional revenue."
In addition to the army, expenditure for the 13th AHV pension and probably for the EU research program Horizon Europe and the EU Cohesion Fund would also increase in the coming years. In addition, there would be ongoing reform projects to abolish the imputed rental value and introduce individual taxation. All of this would have to be financed.
Keller-Sutter spoke of the "painful cuts" that the National Council committee had proposed as part of the army increase. In particular, the proposed savings in international cooperation (IC) were "problematic". It is likely that projects will have to be canceled. This could lead to reputational damage for Switzerland.
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