Former officials call for closer cooperation with EU and NATO as global challenges pile up.

A group of Swiss diplomats, senior officials, a former head of the army and the former director of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, has released a special report that recommends Switzerland’s president and defense minister, Viola Amherd, to put for revision the confederation’s neutral status.

The experts called the political leadership to seek closer cooperation with the European Union and NATO in order to cope with the growing global challenges including the risks Vladimir Putin’s Russia poses for the whole of Europe.

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According to the report, the country should increase military spending to 1% of GDP by 2030 from $6,25 billion this year and develop a "common defense capability" with the EU and NATO.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which led Sweden and Finland to abandon neutrality and join NATO, has reshaped Europe's security dynamics, pressuring Switzerland to reassess its stance.

Switzerland has been neutral for around 500 years – since 1515 – and is today one of the best armed countries in the world, with firearms ownership higher than in the United States and Israel. The country is also a major weapons manufacturer and exporter (€746 million in 2023 or -27% compared with 2022).

One issue driving this shift is Switzerland’s strict arms export laws, which have caused friction with nations wanting to aid Ukraine. The report urges lifting the ban on re-exports and allowing arms sales to countries involved in conflict, which are now prohibited by law, citing Switzerland's recent refusal to allow German ammunition containing Swiss parts to be sent to Ukraine.

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While Switzerland’s neutrality policy remains a cornerstone of its identity, the growing threats of hybrid warfare, espionage, and cyberattacks are pushing the nation to adapt its security strategy to meet evolving challenges. The Swiss government has shown interest in closer defense collaboration in the past years, joining EU cyber defense and military mobility projects, and exploring potential cooperation with NATO.

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