Eröffnungsrede von Bundesrat Martin Pfister am Swiss Defence Industry Day

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Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Esteemed representatives of politics, diplomacy and industry,

It is an honour to speak to you today at the first edition of the Swiss Defence Industry Day in Brussels. I believe there is great value in this format, which brings together representatives from EU and NATO institutions, their member and partner states, as well as the industry. Because it is precisely this kind of exchange among us all that is needed, given the deterioration of the European security situation.

Today, I would like to outline three main points:

• First, the threats to European security and to Switzerland’s own security are greater than they have been for decades.
• Second, it is, therefore, of key importance to strengthen our defence readiness, which is why Switzerland is investing in the capabilities of its armed forces.
• Third, no one can counter transnational threats alone. Due to the transnational nature of the threats, responding effectively means responding jointly.

In short : Switzerland and its defense industry stand ready to strengthen our collective defense readiness.

But first things first: as I said before, my first point concerns the nature of those threats.

The situation reports paint a clear picture: the security of Europe, and thus also of Switzerland, is more at risk than it has been for decades. Crises and conflicts are edging closer to our country. Hybrid attacks such as espionage, cyberattacks, and influence operations are already affecting us today – and they could take on even greater proportions in the foreseeable future. Russia's military aggression against Ukraine represents a turning point; it has destroyed the illusion of lasting peace in Europe. International relations are once again increasingly characterized by power politics. International law is being violated. There is real risk for more war in Europe.

Whether the European security situation further escalates and this hybrid warfare turns into military confrontation depends crucially on the collective determination to counter these threats. In Europe, there is, therefore, a growing awareness that we need to be prepared to face these threats and invest more in our own security and defence accordingly. This also applies to Switzerland.

So what do we have to do to be prepared for these threats? This is the second part of my speech.

To provide a basis for our actions in the coming years, Switzerland is about to adopt its first Security Policy Strategy. This will be the overarching strategy that addresses all areas of government relevant to security policy. I will present the draft document to our Governement by the end of the year. A broad public consultation will follow, before the document will be adopted in 2026. The strategy is based on a comprehensive understanding of security. It will set out three lines of action:

• First, increasing our resilience and ability to resist attack ;
• Second, equipping ourselves against attempts at external influence and being able to effectively counter cyberattacks, espionage, and disinformation;
• and third, restoring the defence capabilities of our armed forces — even for the worst-case scenario of an armed attack on our territory.

It is essential that we implement this strategy and make progress on all three lines of action in the coming months and years. This will not be an easy task by any means, even if the following important decisions have already been made to strengthen Switzerland’s security and defence.

First of all, Switzerland has decided to substantially increase its defence spending. The aim is to invest an additional billion francs per year, amounting to a total of 30 billion francs for the next four years.

Then, our government recently adopted its first armaments policy strategy. One key objective of this strategy is to strengthen Switzerland’s defence technology and industrial base by sustaining existing manufactures and by harnessing the potential of Switzerland’s vibrant research and innovation ecosystem. This will also help to strengthen European defence readiness, as the Swiss defence industry is already contributing to the European Defence Technology Industrial Base. In fact, in 2024, 80% of all Swiss defence exports went to European partners.

Moreover, in this strategy, the Swiss governement recognizes the importance of international armaments cooperation and explicitly states that Switzerland’s armaments policy should contribute to European security. That is why the armaments policy strategy also foresees that Switzerland will prioritize defence procurement in Europe and engage more strongly in European armaments cooperation.

Let me come to the final part of my intervention: international cooperation.

Ladies and gentlemen, as you are well aware, Switzerland is a neutral country and law of neutrality imposes the following constraints on our country:

• We cannot be part of any military alliance.
• We are not allowed to provide direct military support to parties involved in an international armed conflict.
• And, finally, as regards the export of war materiel by private companies, Switzerland is bound by the principle of equal treatment. This means that any restriction applied to one warring party regarding the private export of war materiel also has to be applied equally to the other warring parties.

However – and I want to make this clear – neutrality does not mean that we are indifferent to violations of international law. Switzerland strongly condemns Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. Switzerland has adopted EU sanctions against Russia. We support the people of Ukraine through non-military means. And our government has decided that the export of parts and components to private companies in European countries is compatible with Swiss neutrality, even if they could be used for the production of war materiel for Ukraine.

In addition, the Swiss Parliament is currently revising the War Material Act. This should allow greater flexibility in authorizing the export and re-export of war material, even to countries involved in international armed conflicts in certain cases.

Another crucial point is that neutrality does not prevent us from being involved in international cooperation, even in the field of defence and security.

I have already talked about how closely Switzerland’s security is linked with that of Europe as a whole. As a country located at the heart of Europe, strong and reliable partnerships with our neighbours are crucial. Strengthening our defence capabilities, therefore, also means enhancing international cooperation with our neighbouring states and other European and Western partners, most of which are part of the EU and NATO.

Deepening and intensifying this cooperation is in the mutual interest of Switzerland and of our European partners.

Switzerland has a long-standing and comprehensive partnership with NATO. It has participated in the Partnership for Peace since 1996 and is an active contributor to NATO peace-keeping missions such as KFOR. Moreover, we actively cooperate with NATO in training, capability development, defence procurement as well as research, development and innovation. This cooperation is crucial for Switzerland to ensure the interoperability of its armed forces with those of its neighbouring states and other Western partners. Switzerland is, therefore, looking to deepen and extend that cooperation , which is reflected in the new Individually Tailored Partnership Programme that Switzerland will soon conclude with NATO.

The same goes for the EU: Switzerland has a long-standing and fruitful cooperation with the European Defence Agency (EDA), where we contribute to research and technology projects in particular. We also aim to further extend that cooperation. In fact, the Swiss government approved a revised administrative arrangement with the EDA just last month and we are about to sign it today.

Beyond the EDA, Switzerland cooperates with the EU in the field of security and defence. Since last year, we have been participating in two PESCO projects and Switzerland has contributed to numerous civilian and military missions in the scope of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy.

Finally, we enjoy close bilateral cooperation with many EU member states, in particular with our neighbours – Germany, France, Italy and Austria – and we are also involved in multinational projects such as the European Sky Shield Initiative.

Given this established and close cooperation, Switzerland is, of course, also following the current initiatives to increase European defence readiness with great interest. Accordingly, the Swiss government decided in June to seek exploratory talks with the EU on a Security and Defence Partnership.

While we are aware of the current discussion in Brussels to limit the number of such partnerships, I firmly believe that Switzerland should be on this list. Indeed, if you look at a standard Security and Defence Partnership, the entailed cooperations correspond to what we are already doing now. Moreover, such a Partnership would be an important step towards enhancing our cooperation for the benefit of both parties. Indeed, Switzerland has much to offer, in particular also on the industrial level. While Switzerland does not host many large defence manufacturers, there are many small- and medium-sized Swiss companies which produce high-quality and cutting-edge products and components in technological niches.

Many of these companies are present at today’s Swiss Defence Industry Day, so rather than indulging you with a list of examples at the end of my speech, I can only encourage you to pay a visit to their stands afterwards.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Partnerships are more crucial than ever for Europe. And given that we are all facing the same threat, we should act jointly. I am convinced that Switzerland and its defence industry will make meaningful contributions to European security.

So let us work together to defend a safe Europe and with that our prosperity, our way of life and the integrity of our citizens!

Thank you for your attention!