Switzerland decisively voted down two national initiatives on women’s civil service and a high-value inheritance tax intended to fund climate programs.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Swiss voters delivered a clear rebuke to two nationwide proposals Sunday, rejecting both a plan to extend mandatory national service to women and a measure to impose a new inheritance tax on fortunes exceeding 50 million francs. According to the Associated Press, over 84 percent of voters opposed the “citizen service initiative,” and not one of Switzerland’s 26 cantons supported it.
The initiative would have required all citizens, including women, to participate in military or civil service. Young men in Switzerland are already obligated to serve in the armed forces or civil protection, while conscientious objectors can perform alternative duties or pay an exemption fee. Approximately 35,000 men complete national service each year. Critics said expanding the mandate would be costly and could disrupt the labor market by removing young people from the workforce.
Voters also rejected a separate plan to create a national inheritance tax on estates above 50 million francs, with more than 78 percent voting against it. The proposal, advanced by the youth wing of the Social Democratic Party, aimed to fund programs designed to mitigate climate change and help Switzerland reach its 2050 net-zero emissions target.
As Politico reported, the tax measure sought to apply a 50 percent levy on inheritances exceeding the threshold. However, the initiative failed to gain support from either the Swiss government or major political parties, and pre-election polling predicted a wide defeat.
Official results shared by swissinfo.ch confirmed the outcome: 84.1 percent voted against the civil service expansion, and 78.3 percent rejected the inheritance tax. Both initiatives fell well short of the dual majority of voters and cantons required for passage.
The referendums come shortly after Swiss voters approved a separate measure establishing voluntary digital identification, a move noted internationally amid growing debates about privacy and state oversight. Journalist Michael Shellenberger commented that similar digital ID systems were being rolled out in Australia and the United Kingdom, calling attention to the global expansion of digital credential programs.
While the rejected initiatives were framed as civic and environmental reforms, the outcome reaffirmed Swiss voters’ traditional caution toward large-scale government programs and new national taxes—consistent with the country’s long-standing preference for local control and fiscal restraint.
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