The Bundesrat has submitted a message to parliament proposing to transform Ruag MRO from its current private‑law structure into a special legal Aktiengesellschaft under federal law, following a positive consultation. The move mirrors the legal forms of Swiss Post, SBB, the SNB and Swisscom.
The government says the existing private‑law form no longer meets security‑policy requirements. Ruag MRO derives roughly eighty percent of its revenue from army‑related activities, and the new form would keep that focus while allowing limited commercial third‑party business under stricter rules.
Compared with the initial draft, the Bundesrat narrowed its subsidiary instruction right to the board, limiting its use strictly to the company purpose of ensuring army equipment, to prevent misuse for industrial policy measures.
The legislation introduces explicit whistle‑blower protections, establishes a dedicated reporting channel, and allows indispensable “key personnel” to be transferred to military units or assigned to the army if contractually agreed.
Governance rules are tightened: board members must disclose conflicts of interest, the federal government as sole shareholder can remove a board member in unresolved conflicts, and the Bundesrat may direct the audit office to conduct specific inquiries.
Employees would remain under private‑law contracts, and the Bundesrat stresses that despite the new legal form Ruag MRO will continue to serve primarily the Swiss army.
