Swiss voters narrowly approve tightening of civil service rules to reinforce army ranks
A reform making civil service harder to enter was accepted by 52.5% of Swiss voters on Sunday, aiming to reduce annual admissions from 7200 to 4000 and bolster military personnel.
Referendum result
Swiss voters backed the reform by a slim margin of 52.5% in the June 14 referendum, with 1,690,343 votes in favour and 1,531,878 against. Turnout stood at about 58%. The result tightens the rules for alternative civilian service, which was originally conceived as a conscience-based exception to mandatory military service when it was introduced in 1996.
A strong signal for the army.
What the reform entails
The package introduces six concrete measures. All civil servants will be required to complete a minimum of 150 days, regardless of days already served in the military. Soldiers who have finished their military service can no longer shift to civil service to avoid obligatory marksmanship training. Assignments requiring medical studies are banned, and conscripts must perform at least one service period per year until all days are fulfilled. Those who apply for admission before or during recruit school must complete their long assignment starting the year after admission. The government expects these steps to cut annual civil service admissions by more than 40%, from around 7200 to 4000.
Cantonal divide
The vote exposed a clear urban-rural and linguistic split. The French-speaking cantons of Geneva (56.2% no), Vaud (53.8% no), Neuchâtel (55.9% no) and Jura (60.7% no) rejected the reform, while Fribourg and Valais approved it narrowly (50.2% and 57.1% yes). In German-speaking Switzerland, Basel-City voted no (62%), and Zurich rejected it by just 50.2% after late returns from the city centre. The rest of German-speaking Switzerland backed the reform, with support reaching 59.3% in Grisons and 58.9% in St. Gallen. In the city of Bern, opposition exceeded 73%.
- Valais
- 57.1 %
- Grisons
- 59.3 %
- St. Gallen
- 58.9 %
- Aargau
- 56.2 %
- Lucerne
- 56.9 %
- Ticino
- 53.9 %
- Fribourg
- 50.2 %
- Bern
- 50.2 %
- Zurich
- 49.8 %
- Geneva
- 43.8 %
- Vaud
- 46.2 %
- Neuchâtel
- 44.1 %
- Jura
- 39.3 %
- Basel-City
- 38 %
Reactions and implementation
Supporters from the right-of-centre camps welcomed the outcome as a step to preserve military strength amid geopolitical tensions. The economic minister, Guy Parmelin, announced that the new rules will come into force in mid-2027. Critics, who had collected enough signatures to force the referendum, saw the measure as overly restrictive.
Civil service was not a choice, but an alternative intended for people who do not wish to perform military service for reasons of conscience. In recent years, more and more men have opted for civil service for reasons of comfort.
