US EditionSwiss voters consider whether women, like all male citizens, must do national service
Swiss voters face two referendums on compulsory civic duty for all genders and a 50% inheritance tax on fortunes over CHF50 million to fund climate action, with polls showing low support.
- On November 30 Swiss voters will decide whether to replace men's military conscription with the proposed compulsory civic duty for all citizens, which backers say would boost social cohesion.
- The committee behind the initiative collected 100,000 signatures to put the civic-duty proposal on the ballot, framing it as seeking 'true equality' and calling the current system discriminatory.
- Each year about 35,000 men perform mandatory service at a cost of nearly 1 billion Swiss francs; Switzerland's militia system requires at least four months' service followed by refresher sessions over a decade.
- Polls from gfs.bern show 64 percent and 68 percent oppose the initiative, while the Swiss government and parliament urge rejection citing huge costs and workforce risks involving tens of thousands.
- Voters also consider an inheritance-tax proposal that would tax 50 percent on fortunes above CHF50 million, affecting 2,500 households and raising between CHF2.5 billion and six billion Swiss francs annually.
128 Articles
128 Articles
Swiss Voters Reject Significant Government Intervention
Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposed inheritance tax on multimillionaires on Sunday, November 30th. It was a plan that aimed to fund climate action through wealth redistribution. The “initiative for a future,” which suggested a 50% tax on inheritances above 50 million Swiss francs (€54 million), was opposed by more than 78% of voters across all 26 cantons. In a separate ballot, citizens also rejected a proposal to introduce mandatory …
RESULTS: How did Swiss cantons vote in key November referendums?
Besides the national referendum on obligatory civic duty and tax for the super-rich – both of which were soundly rejected at the polls on Sunday - voters in some Swiss cantons also cast their ballots on issues of local importance.
In two referendums, the Swiss voted by a clear majority against a general duty of service rather than compulsory military service and a climate inheritance tax for the richest part of the population. 84 percent of the participants rejected the duty of service and more than 78 percent rejected the climate inheritance tax, as the final results published on Sunday emerged from all 26 cantons. The Swiss Federal Council and the Swiss Federal Assembly…
In Switzerland, military service is currently only compulsory for men. Women who wish to join the army can volunteer.
Despite intense debates on equality and climate justice, Swiss voters largely followed the recommendations of the government and the Parliament during this double vote.
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