'Since The War In Ukraine, No One Disputes The Need For Rearmament'

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The Swiss army itself acknowledges that it would be unable to defend itself in the event of an attack. So how can military capacity be brought up to scratch? And where should the funding for rearmament come from? We discussed these questions with two guests in the latest episode of our Let's Talk podcast. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: 'Since the war in Ukraine, no one disputes the need for rearmament' This content was published on April 10, 2026 - 09:00 7 minutes

As a correspondent at the Federal Palace for SWI swissinfo, I report on federal politics for the Swiss Abroad. After studying at the Academy of Journalism and Media at the University of Neuchâtel, my career path initially took me to various regional media, working in the editorial offices of Journal du Jura, Canal 3 and Radio Jura bernois. Since 2015, I have been working in the multilingual editorial department of SWI swissinfo, where I continue to practise my profession with passion.

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I am a Visual Storytelling Producer specialising in long-form and serialised multimedia productions. I collaborate with journalists to improve tools and workflows across languages, ensure content style compliance, and lead the research and implementation of innovative visual techniques. Born in Italy and raised in Africa, I now call Switzerland home. I studied film directing at the Italian National Film School and worked as a documentary editor and director/producer in Berlin and Vienna. I specialise in crafting multimedia into engaging narratives.

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Deutsch de Die Schweizer Armee braucht Geld, aber es fehlt am Willen – warum eigentlich? Original Read more: Die Schweizer Armee braucht Geld, aber es fehlt am Willen – warum eigent Français fr ((Depuis la guerre en Ukraine, plus personne ne conteste la nécessité du réarmement)) Read more: ((Depuis la guerre en Ukraine, plus personne ne conteste la nécessité du réarmem

“Those who are unable to defend themselves in the case of an attack no longer have a say,” argues Patrick Mayer, a major in the Swiss army and adviser on defence and security issues. He believes that principle now holds true for Switzerland and describes a worrying situation for the country's defence apparatus.

Even ex-army chief Thomas Süssli acknowledged the country's shortcomings.“We could not withstand a large-scale attack,” he told the Neue Zürcher ZeitungExternal link newspaper late last year.

While other European countries have pledged to earmark 5% of their public spending to defence, Switzerland currently allocates only 0.7% of GDP to the military, a figure that is set to rise to 1% within six years.“For decades, Switzerland has lived in a haven of peace at the heart of Europe,” Mayer says.“It is difficult for it to understand that the environment beyond its borders has become less secure and that it has to adapt.”

More More Swiss Politics Why Switzerland is struggling with its national defence

This content was published on Feb 26, 2026 Switzerland's neighbours increasingly see the country as a potential weak link in European security. But at home defence is hardly a priority on the political agenda.

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