From 1 to 28 June 2026, the CONEX26 military exercise is set to take place in northwestern Switzerland. Approximately 3,500 soldiers from the Swiss Army will practice defending the country in the context of a “hybrid” conflict. The exercise paints a grim picture of a threat scenario in which Switzerland’s neutrality can no longer be maintained.

At the same time, a referendum will be held on stricter civil service laws, and the rising costs of military spending – an additional 31 billion – are to be passed on to the public through a VAT increase. For us, this means everything will become more expensive. In addition, cuts are being made in social and environmental programs, resulting in even more taxes and even less funding. In December 2025, Parliament also passed a resolution to relax the “War Material Law, which simplifies the export of weapons of war and their components.

Switzerland is already profiting from other countries' attacks, such as those in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and Iran. In these places of war and genocide, Swiss companies are trying to make a profit, whether through the extraction of raw materials, the sale of weapons, or the financing of the war machine.

In this way, Switzerland actively contributes to sustaining global colonial and exploitative conditions. People fleeing crises and wars partly caused by Switzerland are left to die in the Mediterranean and the Sahara, and are criminalized, beaten, deported, or murdered at the EU’s external and internal borders. By adopting the GEAS reforms, Switzerland is part of this invisible war against migrants.

We have to admit that the current global situation seems threatening. But militarization is not the answer; it is the source of the danger. We are told that we must kill people in order not to be killed ourselves. Instead of fighting for a more just distribution of resources, we are supposed to learn to fear and fight the “foreign” enemy. Men are encouraged to become more violent, sexual violence is on the rise. Entire ecosystems are being polluted and razed to the ground. Militarism is destroying us and the life around us.

All of this is already noticeable. It is being argued that Switzerland must defend itself and its values. We ask ourselves: Which values and which community are supposed to be defended? We should not be fooled, because this is not about our security and freedom. It is about protecting and advancing the interests of the state, class society, patriarchy, CEOs, tech giants, and the elite.

Security does not result from increased competition and military buildup. Security arises from collective organization, solidarity, and the overthrow of the existing order. Our enemies are not on the Eastern Front or in Gaza. Our enemies are capital, patriarchy and racialization. Our enemies are investors, politicians, autocrats, and large corporations. Their security means our destruction.

Only together can we respond to these crises with solidarity and create hope for a future for everyone.

This is why we are calling for the disruption of the Connex26 exercise.
Let's organize to fight the militarization of our lives!

NOCONEX 26! Militarization does not create security — No peace with their wars!
Join us at the demonstration on June 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., at Liestal Train Station Square!