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Brigitte Beck is leaving Ruag after just under a year after controversial statements about Swiss neutrality. The majority of security politicians welcomed her departure.
At a panel event, Brigitte Beck encouraged European countries to pass on Swiss-made war material to Ukraine. Although the Federal Council was against it, because the War Material Act does not allow it to be passed on. This put the Ruag boss under pressure.
The SVP criticized her sharply: Ruag needs a more suitable person, according to SVP National Councilor Mauro Tuena. “It should be someone who has experience in this business. In other words, comes from the armaments industry and possibly knows the company in Bern or has had something to do with it, »says the President of the Security Policy Commission.
Not an easy balancing act for the Ruag
Recently, Ruag also caused unrest in connection with old Leopard 1 tanks. The company wanted to sell almost 100 units to Germany – with the destination Ukraine. Despite negative signals from the Swiss authorities, RUAG stuck to the deal until the Federal Council finally said no.
Nevertheless, Switzerland must find a solution to change the War Material Act, says security politician Ida Glanzmann from the Mitte party. «Ruag is also dependent on being able to do other business. And there, I think, we have to make sure that we don’t isolate ourselves completely internationally,” said the National Councilor.
FDP President Thierry Burkart shares this opinion. Even after the departure of the Ruag boss, the Swiss armaments group remains in a field of conflict: war in Ukraine, Switzerland’s strict war material law, its neutrality and international criticism of Switzerland.
That’s why Switzerland must ask itself whether it really wants to continue to prevent RUAG from exporting any weapons. “Especially since we are in a very difficult position at the moment, especially in Europe because of this issue of arms re-export, i.e. this ban, which I think is wrong. Of course, that massively restricts Ruag’s entrepreneurial opportunities,” says Councilor of States Burkart.
Who is responsible?
SP National Councilor Franziska Roth is also arguing in this direction. The departure of the Ruag boss symbolizes the Federal Council’s lack of strategy. Since the beginning of the war, the Federal Council has refused to help Ukraine along with other countries. «We do not participate in the task force to find the oligarch funds. We’re not bringing the countries to the table, we’re being overtaken by Saudi Arabia. The talks are now taking place there.” Franziska Roth demands that the events leading up to the departure of the Ruag boss be examined by the audit committee. So far, Franziska Roth is pretty much alone.
The Greens, for example, are against it. Parliament must know what went wrong in the Ruag, “but it cannot be that the business audit committee has to be sent out to investigate things in every second transaction. We finally need a united Federal Councilor who leads the country with leadership,” says National Councilor Gerhard Andrey.