Swiss lawmakers against civic service initiative

A committee against the citizen service initiative Keystone-SDA

The popular initiative for compulsory civic service in Switzerland is a dangerous experiment, according to a committee made up of members from across the political spectrum.

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The text, to be put to the vote on November 30, will damage the army, the economy and reinforce inequalities, according to the committee.

The civic service initiative calls for all Swiss citizens, not just young men, to perform service for the benefit of the community and the environment. The service could be performed in the army, civil service, civil protection or another militia service. People who do not perform service will have to pay a fee.

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The impact of the initiative on civil society would be intolerable, according to Swiss People’s Party parliamentarian Jean-Luc Addor. By watering down the obligation to serve in the army, the text would also make it more difficult to recruit sufficient numbers of military and civil protection personnel.

For the Social Democrats, forcing women to do more unpaid work is unacceptable, as they already do most of the care work. The Greens are critical of the restriction on personal freedom.

Translated from French with DeepL/mga

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