BERN - Swiss voters rejected a plan to replace male military conscription with civic duty for all, 84.2 percent to 15.9 percent. They also rejected the Young Socialists' Initiative for a Future, a 50 percent tax on inheritances above CHF 50 million earmarked for climate policy, by 78.3 percent to 21.7 percent. Turnout was about 43 percent. No canton said yes to either text.
The government had opposed both, citing cost, administration and the risk to family businesses. Campaigners on the yes side said the night showed the power of money in Swiss politics. Campaigners on the no side said it showed voters can still count.
Climate by other means
Green politicians insisted the climate itself was not on the ballot, only one tax. A later climate fund would fail in March 2026 as well. The army, meanwhile, would be asking for more money, not more kinds of service, by September 2026.