Swiss November 30 vote: civic duty for all and an inheritance tax for the rich

Pollsters expect both popular initiatives to be turned down on November 30. swissinfo.ch

At noon on Sunday the ballot boxes will close. Swiss citizens are voting on two popular initiatives: on replacing compulsory military service with a civic duty extended to women, and on introducing an additional inheritance tax for the very rich to finance climate initiatives. The results will be out on the same day.

At present, all able-bodied Swiss men between the age of 18 and 40 must serve in the army. Conscientious objectors can alternatively serve longer in a civilian institution, typically in the social, health or environmental sectors. For women military service is voluntary.
 
A popular initiative now aims to replace this this system with a general civic duty, extended to women. The proposal is not to be seen as a response to the current geopolitical situation, in which some European countries are bringing back conscription. The committee that has collected the necessary 100,000 signatures to bring the popular initiative to the ballot box was founded in 2013. It considers the current system to be outdated and unequal.
 
>> Here is our explainer on the civic duty initiative:

In early November the Swiss population was sceptical about the proposal. Only 32% of Swiss citizens were in favour of it, while 64% were against it, according to the second poll commissioned by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) and conducted by gfs.bern. 4% said they were still undecided.
 
The government and parliament both reject the initiative, and none of the Swiss governing parties backs it. The main concern is that the initiative goes too far and will lead to high costs for the federation, the cantons and the economy. Support for the idea comes from smaller parties, such as the Liberal Green Party, the Protestant Party, the Pirate Party and the youth wing of the Centre Party.

Inheritance tax expected to be rejected

The second issue the Swiss are voting on this weekend is an initiative aiming to finance measures against climate change through a new tax. Concretely the initiative committee around the youth section of the left-wing Social Democratic Party intends to raise a 50% tax to be levied whenever someone bequeaths or gifts more than CHF50 million ($63 million) to their descendants. The tax would be payable only on the amount exceeding CHF50 million. 
 
The estimates on additional tax income differ. The initiators expect an additional CHF6 billion in tax revenue to be invested in climate measures if their proposal is accepted. Opponents estimate an additional tax income of CHF2.5 billion to CHF5 billion – if the rich stay in Switzerland. In case of a relocation of the super-rich and entrepreneurs, the outcome could even be a lower tax income, the opponents warn.
 
In an international context, direct descendants in Switzerland are currently taxed at a rate well below the OECD average. However, the exact details of inheritance-tax schemes vary considerably. 
 
>> Read the details on the inheritance tax initiative in our explainer:

In early November the Swiss electorate would have turned down the inheritance tax. Only 30% of those polled were in favour of it, while 68% were against it, according to the survey by gfs.bern mentioned above. 2% said they were still undecided.
 
The initiative also has low support from politicians. The government and parliament both reject it. Among the eight biggest parties only the Social Democrats and the Greens support it. 

A minority decides 

Swiss citizens vote on national issues up to four times a year, but not everyone living in Switzerland can vote on November 30. Only Swiss citizens over the age of 18 and not under guardianship are eligible to vote on national issues. Voters can have their say either by postal ballot or in person at the ballot box. Those living abroad must register. A total of around 5.5 million people can vote – just under two-thirds of the country’s population of around nine million. 
 
People living in Switzerland who do not have Swiss nationality cannot vote, despite making up about a quarter of the population. 
 
>> What the foreign community thinks about not being able to vote

Around half of eligible voters usually turn out to the polls. Over the past ten years, the annual average voter turnout has been between 41% and 57%, according to the Federal Statistical Office. In practice, this means it takes about 1.5 million votes to win. 

Votes in the cantons

Not only national votes are on the agenda this weekend: decisions are also being made in the cantons.
 
In canton Vaud the population is deciding on whether cantonal residents living abroad should be allowed to participate in elections to the Swiss Senate. This is already possible for elections to the House of Representatives. Apart from Valais, Vaud is the only canton in French-speaking Switzerland that does not allow this. Around 25,000 Vaud residents living abroad would be eligible to vote.
 
Also in Vaud an initiative is calling for foreigners to be able to vote and stand for election at the cantonal level. To be eligible, foreign nationals must have lived in Switzerland for at least ten years and in canton Vaud for at least three years. In addition, the population will decide on the voting right at cantonal level for people under guardianship.
 
In Appenzell Outer Rhodes a new cantonal constitution is being voted on. This includes the right to vote for foreigners, provided they are resident in the canton and have lived in Switzerland for at least ten years without interruption. However, they would not be given the right to stand for election. Appenzell Outer Rhodes would be the first German-speaking canton to grant voting rights to foreign nationals at cantonal level. 
 
Edited by Samuel Jaberg/ts