National Council against giving councillors a say on joining “Sky Shield”
Published: Thursday, Dec 12th 2024, 11:50
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The National Council rejects the demand for parliament to have a say in Switzerland's accession to the "European Sky Shield Initiative". On Thursday, it said no by a clear majority to a corresponding motion from its responsible committee.
The National Council decided against the motion by 101 votes to 81 with 6 abstentions, following a minority and the Federal Council. Its Security Policy Committee (SIK-N) had wanted to instruct the Federal Council to submit the treaty to the Councils for approval. The no vote means that the motion is off the table.
In its negative opinion, the Federal Council referred to the Federal Constitution. According to this, the final authority for signing the declaration of accession clearly lies with the Federal Council. In addition, the responsible parliamentary committees had been consulted. They had not expressed any significant reservations.
In October, Head of Armaments Urs Loher signed up to the "European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI)" launched by Germany in 2022. Its purpose is to close gaps in the protective shield for Europe against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. The initiative aims to better coordinate air defense procurement projects and facilitate further cooperation.
©Keystone/SDA
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