The Swiss government says the current strength of Switzerland’s army must not decrease in view of the current geopolitical situation.
On Wednesday, the Federal Council instructed the Federal Department of Defence to present a project to enable it to temporarily increase the maximum strength of the army as prescribed in the law.
The Swiss army currently has 147,000 soldiers in service. But under Swiss law, the regular workforce is set at 100,000, up to a maximum of 140,000. Thanks to a transitional provision, these numbers could be exceeded until the end of 2022.
But to ensure it conforms with the law, the army has been forced to release certain soldiers who have completed their military training. ...