Swiss Voters Reject Mandatory Civic Service and High Inheritance Tax Proposals

The Swiss electorate on Sunday, November 30, 2025, decisively rejected two significant national initiatives, reinforcing the country's existing structures for civic duty and fiscal policy. The first measure, the “For an Engaged Switzerland (Civic Service Initiative),” proposed instituting mandatory civic service for all men and women across military, civil protection, or social service sectors.

This civic service proposal failed by a substantial margin of 84.15 percent, making it the second most strongly rejected popular initiative in the last quarter-century. The government had previously opposed the measure, citing concerns over potential labor market shortages and the significant financing required to implement such an expansion of national duty. The existing model involves mandatory service for young men, totaling approximately 35,000 annual placements in the military or civil protection, while women currently have the option to volunteer.

The second initiative, championed by the Young Socialists (Juso) and titled “For a Social Climate Policy - Fairly Financed by Taxes (Initiative for a Future),” sought to establish a new federal levy of 50 percent on inheritances and gifts exceeding 50 million Swiss Francs. Revenue from this proposed tax was designated to fund climate protection measures, split between the Confederation and the Cantons. This proposal also failed to gain public approval, rejected by 78.3 percent of voters, ranking it sixth among the most clearly defeated proposals in the last 25 years.

The inheritance tax measure, which would have affected an estimated 2,500 taxpayers in Switzerland holding assets above the CHF 50 million threshold, faced strong opposition from the government, federal parliament, and business associations. Critics warned that the high rate could undermine Switzerland's position as a stable jurisdiction for capital. Currently, inheritance and gift taxation remains exclusively cantonal, with most cantons exempting spouses and direct descendants, maintaining a predictable tax environment for families and entrepreneurs.

Following the vote, political reactions were immediate. The bourgeois alliance Sicherheit Schweiz called for concrete steps to strengthen the army in light of the civic service rejection, while bourgeois parties declared the inheritance tax debate settled by the clear mandate. Conversely, proponents of the Juso initiative, including the Green Party, announced plans to submit a motion in Parliament seeking a "more moderate inheritance tax," signaling a shift toward the legislative process for their fiscal objectives.