Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd resigns

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd will resign at the end of March, the Swiss Parliament said on Wednesday in a post on X, adding a new member of Switzerland's cabinet would be elected in the spring session to replace her.

"After more than 30 years in politics, more than 25 in an executive function, it is time to pass the baton on to a fresh force," Amherd said in a resignation letter published as part of the post.

"These were challenging times with overlapping crises," added Amherd, who has been a member of Switzerland's seven-strong federal cabinet since 2019 and held the revolving presidency last year.

Amherd has come under pressure from the Swiss People’s Party, which on Saturday accused her of setting the wrong priorities for the Swiss army and called on her to step down.

The sentiment was echoed by liberal party FDP, who thanked Amherd for her work but said her successor must "restore" the defence capability of the military.

Amherd, aged 62, last year oversaw an international summit on Ukraine in Switzerland and is a member of Switzerland's centrist Die Mitte party.

Her resignation comes days after Die Mitte’s president, Gerhard Pfister, stepped down, sparking speculation in Swiss media he could replace Amherd.

(Reporting by Ariane Luthi; editing by Barbara Lewis and Alex Richardson)

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