During the debate on a motion that experts believed would violate the law of neutrality, waves ran high in the Swiss National Council. According to the “Tagesanzeiger”, FDP National Councilor Hans-Peter Portmann is said to have asked how the Commission came to submit a so-called motion to the Council, with which neutrality would be sacrificed.
Roger Köppel, National Councilor of the Swiss People’s Party SVP, who is also editor-in-chief of “Weltwoche”, was completely upset and asked the Social Democratic Party SP, which had introduced the proposal: “How can you do it with your oath of office to the constitution and Agree the laws?”, adding that a yes to the motion would allow one warring party to be unilaterally boosted with ammunition. In his eyes a “monstrosity”.
In Switzerland, most politicians have a clear opinion on neutrality. By a vote of 117 to 78, the National Council rejected the point that weapons bought in Switzerland could be passed on to warring factions. That is not allowed. In plain language: no transfer of Swiss weapons to Ukraine.
Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin (SVP) also took a very clear position on this and explained that there was no leeway for this, because Switzerland was obliged under international law to treat warring parties equally. Austria too – theoretically.