Human security threatened by “military coup” in Council of States

A careful reading of the International Cooperation Dispatch 2025–2028 sent by the Government to the Parliament left us somewhat aghast. As we already knew that the national government intends to fund support for Ukraine entirely at the expense of the Global South, the cause was one telling detail. In the German version, the Government stated the following about the decline in the ODA ratio (of which we were already aware, regrettably): "This is due to the fact that the growth of GNI [gross national income, i.e., the economy] has significantly outstripped that of the funds allocated to IC, as a result of the financial measures taken in connection with the debt brake." Whaaat? Can it be that in times of financial crises and epidemics, all those that can afford it, do contract debt to pump-prime their economies, while people in Federal Berne think that reducing government debt via the debt brake will lead to economic growth? But then came clarification: it was merely a translation error from the French version.

We were truly aghast on June 3rd as we followed the deliberations of the Council of States. First came the rejection of a motion that would have provided the increase in army spending by 2030 so desperately wanted by the conservative male majority, at least on an exceptional basis and in combination with exceptional funding for aid to Ukraine. But immediately thereafter, that majority decided to increase the army budget for weapons purchases by 4 billion, while simultaneously slashing development cooperation funds by 2 billion. A frontal attack on IC! (One annoying detail about the unique link forged in this manner and on this scale between the army and international cooperation is that it constantly brings military metaphors to mind...).

This, despite the statement by the newly created State Secretariat for Security Policy itself, that "A direct military threat from a land or air attack on Switzerland is unlikely in the near-to-medium term." Threats from cyber-attacks, for example, have nevertheless intensified. The following statement by the Government in the security policy report had either been forgotten or had never been taken on board: "It [foreign-policy] helps to strengthen international security and stability by offering good offices, helping to promote peace, standing up for international law, the rule of law and human rights, tackling the causes of instability and conflict through development cooperation and providing humanitarian aid to alleviate the plight of civilians." After all, expecting that even the notion of human security may have landed with the majority in the Council of States is truly asking too much.

But the battle to salvage IC is not yet lost, the counterattack is on, and we will not surrender! Please excuse the military metaphors.