Bern wants soldiers off the grandstands

Switzerland has a curious habit of asking soldiers to do work that looks suspiciously civilian when the cameras are present and conveniently military when the invoices are discussed. At the Basel Tattoo, for example, troops built the stands. At the Lauberhorn, they help keep the slopes in shape. And because the country likes efficiency almost as much as it likes pretending this is all perfectly normal, the arrangement has become routine.

This year’s Basel Tattoo, which marks its 20th anniversary, offers the clearest picture of how far that routine has gone. The army supported the event with 50 soldiers, who assembled the grandstands and put in a total of 900 service days. For organiser Erik Julliard, the calculation is straightforward: the cooperation saves money, and without it the event would be harder to finance. He says the festival has relied on a charitable foundation for 19 years and that the partnership with the army matters to the budget. The message is not exactly subtle. If the state is willing to provide cheap labour, why would event organisers rush to give it up?

The dependence is even more pronounced elsewhere. Organisers of the Lauberhorn race say the event could not be held at all without army support. That is a remarkable state of affairs for a country that likes to present itself as disciplined, prosperous and self-reliant. Last year, the army carried out 26,000 service days for assistance duties. That is not a marginal sideline. It is a substantial use of military manpower for events that are, however festive or traditional, not defence.

Now the political mood in Bern is turning. The Economic Affairs Department led by Guy Parmelin says the time has come to stop army assistance for sport and cultural mega-events once and for all. Its logic is plain enough: the army should focus on defending the country, not propping up tribunes and event logistics. Army chief Benedikt Roos has recently taken the same line, saying the armed forces must strengthen their defence capability and align themselves accordingly, consistently and without detours.

The defence ministry, however, is not slamming the door. The VBS says that as long as the current regulation remains in force, requests will continue to be assessed under the applicable conditions and approved where appropriate. So the system lives on, at least for now — which is often how Swiss compromises survive, long after the political argument has supposedly been settled.

For organisers, there is at least temporary relief. Julliard says a new five-year service agreement with the VBS was signed this week, and that both the army and the department want to keep supporting the Basel Tattoo. The wider debate is harder to dismiss. If the army is meant to concentrate on defence, then perhaps it should do exactly that. If not, Bern should say so openly instead of dressing up civilian event support as a national necessity.

Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com