Swiss Voters Reject National Service Expansion and 50% Inheritance Tax for Climate

Overview

• Official results show about 84% voted against extending compulsory national service to all citizens and more than 78% opposed the inheritance climate tax, with turnout near 43% across 26 cantons.
• The Civic Duty plan would have required every Swiss citizen to serve in the military or in civil roles, drawing broad party opposition that cited added burdens for women’s unpaid care work and higher system costs.
• The tax initiative sought a 50% levy on inheritances above CHF 50 million, estimated to affect around 2,500 estates and to raise roughly CHF 6 billion a year for climate measures.
• The federal government, parliament and business leaders warned the tax could spur capital flight and complicate family successions, and Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said it would have sent a poor signal to wealthy residents.
• Proponents acknowledged the defeats but signaled they will continue pressing the issues, with these margins among the steepest setbacks for popular initiatives in roughly 25 years.