this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.16-112421/https://www.ft.com/content/38de65f3-6ea1-4056-856c-601f71bb1cb3

Just two months ago, Switzerland’s new defence minister was seen as an outsider with little chance of securing a federal government post.

But Martin Pfister, an army colonel and cantonal minister who advocates for more defence co-operation with Natoand EU neighbours, is set to take office next month after defeating a more conservative rival earlier this week.

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[–] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Switzerland has armed neutrality.

Military service is mandatory for all men. We have a really high military budget. etc.

[–] Syntha@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Swiss military budget is 0.7% of GDP. Probably the smallest in Europe, except for Iceland and the micro-states.

[–] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Comparing per GDP is misleading because switzerland’s GDP is massively artificially inflated by being a tax haven.

If you look at spending per capita, switzerland spends 738 USD equivalent per person per year on military spending. That’s actually higher than most european countries.

https://www.helgilibrary.com/charts/military-expenditure-per-capita-usd-fell-177-to-usd-700-in-switzerland-in-2022/

[–] Syntha@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 month ago

You know perfectly well that purchasing power per dollar is much lower in Switzerland than any other European country