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| Members of Switzerland's Army Forces (Reuters / Thomas Hodel) |
(Reuters) The Swiss Army is preparing contingency plans for violent unrest
across Europe. A nation mostly famous for its banks, watches and
chocolate fears it may face a massive influx of European refugees in the
near future.
One of the world’s richest nations openly expressed concerns over the
possible outcome of Europe’s continuing financial troubles, and is
currently conducting army exercises against the possibility of riots
along its borders.
In September, the Swiss military conducted exercises dubbed ‘Stabilo Due,’ with scenarios involving violent instability across the EU.
Switzerland
has maintained an avowedly neutral stance for decades, and refused to
join the eurozone when presented with the opportunity.
Bern’s
biggest fear is likely the disorganization of neighboring nations’
armies that would follow general instability; the eurozone crisis and
the severe austerity measures in the EU are forcing member-states to
significantly slash their military budgets. If protest continues to spread across Europe, police and armed forces may find themselves ill-equipped to manage the unrest.
"I will not rule out that we will need the army in the coming years,” Swiss Defense Minister Ueli Maurer said last Sunday.
The
Swiss Defense Ministry has pressed ahead to modernize the country’s
army despite political opposition. With its multibillion-Franc military
budget and an army of around 200,000 soldiers, the country also plans
to purchase new ‘Saab Gripen’ jet fighters.
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| Vladimir Kremlev for RT |
“Minister Maurer, accompanied by whispers from the top uniformed
leadership in Switzerland, is trying to raise awareness that Europe’s
massive fiscal-cum-political crisis could get very unpleasant,” John R.
Schindler, a professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War
College wrote in an article for the XX Committee website.
The
Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces, Lieutenant General André Blattmann,
likewise revealed plans to deploy an additional four battalions of
military police (1,600 soldiers) to protect strategic points across the
country. Blattmann is expected to present the plan in December.
Professor Schindler predicts that, “if the next Anders Brievik were to target Muslims, not fellow Europeans, things could get unimaginably ugly very quickly,” which could trigger widespread Muslim uprisings in Europe.
Switzerland,
however, stands in stark opposition to the multicultural policies and
thinking now common in other European nations. In 2009, Switzerland
passed a national referendum banning the construction of Islamic
minarets .
And while the global economic crisis has forced
several European nations to cut military expenditures, Switzerland has
maintained relatively consistent levels of defense spending.
