Author: Christina Neuhaus / NZZ
Source: Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Publication date: 05.12.2025
Reading time: approx. 3 minutes
Executive Summary
The Federal Council has approved a "mutually agreed termination" of the employment relationship with Michaela Schärer, Director of the Federal Office for Civil Protection (Babs). Despite official appreciation, the departure follows serious operational and structural deficiencies that were most recently revealed during a nationwide crisis exercise. The case raises fundamental questions about the crisis resilience of Switzerland's security architecture.
Critical Guiding Questions
- Responsibility: How is a severance payment of one annual salary justified given documented performance deficiencies in a security-critical agency?
- Transparency: Why does the Federal Council communicate the departure as "mutual" despite obvious serious deficiencies and criticism?
- Freedom: What risks arise for civil liberties when central emergency systems are not functional?
- Innovation: Why did the digital transformation in civil protection not progress despite known deficiencies?
- Responsibility: Who takes responsibility for the structural deficiencies beyond the personnel measure?
Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives
| Time Horizon | Expected Development |
|---|---|
| Short-term (1 year) | Comprehensive revision of technical systems at Babs; critical parliamentary review of the failures |
| Medium-term (5 years) | Realignment of civil protection with greater consideration of hybrid and cyber threats |
| Long-term (10-20 years) | Profound reform of the federal security architecture with clear allocation of responsibilities between federal government and cantons |
Main Summary
Core Issue & Context
The Federal Council is parting ways with the Director of the Federal Office for Civil Protection after massive operational problems. The departure is communicated as a mutually agreed solution, but follows serious system failures during a nationwide crisis exercise and ongoing criticism.
Key Facts & Figures
- Michaela Schärer receives a severance payment equal to one annual salary
- The director took office in January 2021 during the Covid pandemic
- During a recently conducted crisis exercise, the central communication and situation display system failed
- An internal audit report from the DDPS already warned of serious deficiencies in the summer
Stakeholders & Affected Parties
- Federal Council and DDPS: must now implement new appointment and reorganization
- Cantons: complain about lack of progress on central projects
- Population: potentially endangered by deficiencies in civil protection
- Babs employees: suffered from poor atmosphere after reorganization
Opportunities & Risks
| Opportunities | Risks |
|---|---|
| Fundamental reform of civil protection | Security gaps until full functionality is restored |
| Modernization of digital infrastructure | Loss of expertise due to staff fluctuation |
| Clearer leadership structures and responsibilities | Ongoing tensions between federal government and cantons |
Action Relevance
Security officials should review communication and alert systems in the short term and implement redundant backup solutions. In the long term, a comprehensive review of Switzerland's crisis architecture is necessary, with particular attention to resilience against cyber attacks and power outages.
Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking
- [x] Central statements and figures verified
- [x] Unconfirmed data marked with ⚠️
- [x] Web research conducted for current data
- [x] Bias or political one-sidedness marked
Supplementary Research
- Director of the Federal Office for Civil Protection steps down: Succession is initiated
- Departure with golden parachute (alternative opinion perspective)
- IT blackout during major federal crisis exercise: The incident reveals serious deficiencies in the Office for Civil Protection (NZZ, 29.11.2025)
Bibliography
Primary source:
After criticism and failures: Federal Council parts ways with the Director of the Office for Civil Protection – NZZ
Supplementary sources:
- Director of the Federal Office for Civil Protection steps down (clarus.news)
- Departure with golden parachute (clarus.news)
- IT blackout during major federal crisis exercise (NZZ, 29.11.2025)
Verification status: ✓ Facts verified on 05.12.2025
This text was created with the assistance of Claude.
Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 05.12.2025