If you like a juicy political scandal, you would probably not look for it in Switzerland.
That’s because all seven members of the Federal Council always present a united front and, in theory at least, the principle of collegiality and consensus prevails over any differences of opinion.
But is this really so?
In recent weeks, the public has had a rare glimpse into some discords within what appears on the surface to be an amicable Federal Council.
Cracks in this perfect image began to appear with the sudden resignation in January of Defence Minister Viola Amherd, who announced she would step down on March 31st.
Among reasons for her untimely resignation, she cited “the growing polarisation, the spreading spitefulness in political discourse, and the increased assertion of special interests”.
Amherd did not provide further details, but Swiss media has pointed to conflicts she has had with other ministers over the way she had run the Defence Department – disagreements which eventually created unsurmountable rifts within the Federal Council.
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The plot thickens
After Amherd, army head Thomas Süssli and intelligence service chief Christian Dussey also handed in their resignations, though exact timing is not clear.
For reasons that remain elusive, these two resignations were kept under wraps – until they were leaked to the media, triggering yet another scandal.
Amherd appeared upset about who leaked the news and suspected her Federal Council colleague, Karin Keller-Sutter, the head of the Finance Department.
The two had often clashed in the past over Keller-Sutter’s opposition to increase in army funding, which caused tensions between the two ministers.
However, as it turned out, the intelligence service, which is part of the Defence Department, leaked the news to the media.
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And there is more
The latest in the series of misfortunes that befell the Defence Department is a scandal that erupted over fraudulent activities of a military contractor – further amplifying suspicions over who within the department knew what and when.
State-owned firm RUAG, which maintains Switzerland’s military equipment, has become mired in a suspected fraud scandal.
Specifically, a former executive allegedly sought to line his own pockets by reselling spare parts for Leopard tanks, with the support of a German intermediary.
Also, the company may have used spare parts from the consignment warehouse owned by the armed forces for its own business with third parties, without authorisation, according to allegations.
As these revelations emerged on February 25th, legislators called for a parliamentary inquiry into why Amherd allegedly “turned a blind eye despite clear indications of serious failings.”
They also demanded to know why both Süssli and Dussey, had handed in their resignations – in other words, whether they too had any prior knowledge of fraudulent activities within RUAG.
Further investigations will reveal the extent of the wrongdoing, but in the meantime, the image of the Swiss government as transparent and collegial has taken a beating.
