Swiss voters have decisively rejected two major national reform proposals, blocking both a steep new inheritance tax targeting the ultra-wealthy and a plan to extend compulsory civic or military service to women. Initial projections released shortly after polls closed at noon on Sunday showed overwhelming opposition: around 79 percent voted against the proposed wealth tax, while roughly 84 percent rejected the civic duty expansion.

The inheritance tax measure, introduced by the youth wing of the Social Democrats, sought to impose a 50 percent levy on estates above 50 million Swiss francs (€53.6 million). The revenue collected would have been earmarked for climate-related initiatives. Despite growing public debate across Europe about taxing extreme wealth, the proposal failed to gain traction in Switzerland. It lacked broad political backing and was opposed by the federal government and most major parties, ultimately falling far short of public support.

The second proposal — dubbed the “For a committed Switzerland” initiative — aimed to modernise national service obligations by extending compulsory military or civilian service to women. The plan also envisioned broadening the types of service allowed, including roles in environmental protection, disaster prevention and support for vulnerable communities. It was launched by the Geneva-based group servicecitoyen.ch and backed by several smaller parties and civic associations, including the Liberal Greens and the youth wing of the Centre Party.

However, the measure gained limited national momentum. While Switzerland already maintains one of Europe’s most entrenched systems of mandatory service for men, extending the obligation to women received little institutional support. Polling conducted 10 days before the vote already suggested that both measures were heading for defeat.

Sunday’s results reaffirm the country’s cautious approach to major structural reforms, particularly those affecting longstanding social frameworks and its tax regime. Switzerland’s system of direct democracy gives voters frequent opportunities to weigh in on national policy changes, but also sets a high bar for proposals to secure broad consensus.

The rejection of both initiatives leaves existing systems untouched: Switzerland’s inheritance tax framework remains unchanged, and compulsory national service will continue to apply only to men. For proponents, the outcome represents a setback, though both measures helped reignite national debates around wealth inequality, civic responsibility and gender roles in public service.