Europe30 November, 20252 min read
Swiss Voters Reject Proposal To Replace Men-Only Military Conscription With Compulsory Civic Duty For All
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Swiss voters decisively rejected replacing men-only conscription with compulsory civic duty for all Swiss voters rejected a climate-focused inheritance tax on the super-rich
6 outlets told this the same way.
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Swiss referendum outcomes
Swiss voters rejected two high-profile ballot initiatives in a national referendum. They left the men-only conscription system in place and turned down a proposed climate-oriented inheritance tax. Observers reported that the Civic Duty proposal, which would have replaced male-only conscription with compulsory service for all citizens, failed decisively.
“Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected two high-profile ballot initiatives on Sunday.”
The Socialist youth ‘initiative for a future’ inheritance plan was also rejected. Campaigners and officials on both sides characterised the result as a clear rebuke to the measures, and the government and parliament had urged rejection on cost and economic-risk grounds.
Civic Duty Proposal
The Civic Duty proposal sought to make national service mandatory for all citizens, both men and women, with supporters arguing it would advance 'true equality' and strengthen social cohesion by giving women access to networks and experiences tied to service.
The initiative's backers included a committee led by Noemie Roten, who framed the proposal as a long-term social change that should remain part of public debate.
Opposition: civic duty and inheritance
Opponents, including the Federal Council, the Swiss Trade Union Federation and parliament, argued the civic-duty plan would impose heavy direct and indirect costs, risk exceeding defence needs, and worsen unpaid work burdens for women.
“The Federal Council has urged Swiss voters to reject a proposal for mandatory citizen service for everyone, saying it would create high direct and indirect costs for the federal government, the cantons and the economy.”
Campaign warnings also stressed broader economic risks from the inheritance-tax proposal, including potential capital flight and harm to family businesses.
Swiss ballot outcomes
The ballot included the Socialist Party youth's initiative for a future, which proposed a 50% inheritance tax on fortunes over CHF 50 million to raise roughly CHF 6 billion a year for climate and ecological transition spending. That measure, like the civic-duty proposal, was rejected by large margins. Coverage emphasised reported vote shares, turnout and the scale of the defeats as a decisive rebuke to both initiatives.
Press reaction to vote
Reporting reactions varied: civic-duty campaigners said the debate would continue despite the defeat, while government and parliamentary officials described the results as a vindication of concerns about cost and defence capacity.
“Roten said the civic-duty idea would continue to be debated and compared its potential long-term path to earlier social changes in Switzerland.”
Some outlets highlighted the proposal's social-justice ambitions, while others emphasised institutional warnings and specific vote percentages, reflecting different editorial choices and source emphases across the coverage.
