- In future, the Federal Council must expel all persons who endanger Switzerland’s security through prohibited intelligence activities.
- The prerequisite is that they cannot be prosecuted.
- Following the National Council, the Council of States has also spoken out in favour of a similar initiative.
The vote in the small chamber was clear, with 32 votes in favor and nine against, with two abstentions. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council of States (APK-S) recommended the adoption of the motion in advance. “Switzerland, as the seat of international organizations and as a state in the heart of Europe, is an attractive location for intelligence services,” said committee spokeswoman Franziska Roth (SP/SO).
Risk to Switzerland’s diplomatic interests
According to reports from the Federal Intelligence Service (NDB), for example, one in five Russian intelligence officers stationed in Europe is in Switzerland. The illegal activities therefore endanger, among other things, the protected dialogue spaces provided by International Geneva. These activities could therefore pose a risk to Switzerland’s diplomatic interests and to the people targeted.
Legend:
Parliament is calling on the Federal Council to take tougher action against espionage: anyone who is proven to be spying in Switzerland should be expelled from the country.
IMAGO/Christian Ohde
Prohibited intelligence services therefore not only endanger potentially sensitive information and secrets of Switzerland, but also the freedom of expression and assembly of certain communities. This could also damage Switzerland’s reputation as a host country.
Individual case examination should continue
A bourgeois minority requested that the motion be rejected. They saw no added value compared to the Federal Council’s current practice. There are various measures, such as preventive entry bans and the expulsion of exposed agents, which are already being implemented, said Petra Gössi (FDP/SZ).
Prohibited intelligence services are punishable in Switzerland. Defense Minister Viola Amherd assured the Council of States that even if the motion were accepted, individual case examinations and decisions would continue to be made in order to “take due account of the special circumstances and the interests of Switzerland.”