Sep 15, 12:01 PM
Blank Checks for the Sky: Swiss Parliament Forgives F-35 Price Fiasco
Despite revelations that fixed-price guarantees were pure fantasy, the National Council signed off on 3.4 billion francs for military procurement.
When the bill arrives for national defense, Swiss parliamentarians display a comforting, if slightly naive, willingness to forgive accounting fictions. The National Council has approved a 3.4 billion Swiss franc military package, handing the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport a resounding vote of confidence despite a damning parliamentary investigation.
At the center of the debate was a 394 million franc supplementary credit for the procurement of F-35 fighter jets. Just days prior, a report by the parliamentary control committee revealed that the official line repeatedly sold to the public—that the jets were being purchased under a strict fixed-price contract—was entirely untrue. Left-leaning politicians rightly labeled the situation a fixed-price fiasco that damaged institutional trust. Bourgeois lawmakers, however, brushed off the revelation, insisting the procurement remained without alternative.
Beyond the jets, the approved package includes 2.4 billion francs for military armaments and 562 million francs for real estate projects. The council drew the line only at an additional 500 million franc proposal championed by the SVP and FDP for medium- and long-range air defense ammunition. The center-left blocked the initiative, pointing out that no clear financing mechanism existed for the extra ammunition, despite warnings from conservatives that growing global demand makes delay costly.
Defence Minister Martin Pfister defended his department by appealing for objectivity, complaining that the committee's sharp criticism put a heavy burden on his staff and eroded public trust. He promised a swift official response from the Federal Council rather than waiting until December, welcoming the report as a constructive basis for internal reform.
The council’s indulgence appears to be just the beginning. With the federal budget showing better-than-expected prospects, the Federal Council intends to request an additional one billion francs during the winter session to secure down payments for future orders. In Bern, misplaced fiscal optimism and bureaucratic missteps seem to be rewarded with ever-larger checking accounts.
Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com
