Swiss defence minister to resign amid criticism over insufficient efforts to restore military

Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd has announced that she will step down at the end of March, following months of rumours about her resignation.

The 62-year-old Centre Party politician has confirmed this news on January 15, Caliber.Az reports citing Swiss media. 

"After more than 30 years in politics, with over 25 years in an executive role, it is time to hand over the baton to new leadership," Amherd stated in her resignation letter, published by the Swiss parliament via X.

Amherd, who has been part of the Swiss seven-member federal cabinet since 2019 and held the rotating presidency last year, has faced criticism from the Swiss People’s Party, which on Saturday accused her of misprioritizing the Swiss army and urged her to resign.

This view was also expressed by the liberal FDP party, which thanked Amherd for her service but emphasized that her successor must focus on "restoring" the military's defense capabilities.

Her resignation follows the recent departure of Gerhard Pfister, president of the central "Die Mitte" party, leading to speculation in Swiss media that he might be her successor.

By Nazrin Sadigova