The Federal Council has announced that they are looking into whether expats and internationals should participate in national service. The analysis will be done as part of wider reforms to the Swiss military and civil service designed to coax more women to volunteer and make the system more sustainable.
Speaking at a press conference on January 15, alongside announcing that she would be stepping down from the Federal Council at the end of March, Defence Minister Viola Amherd (Centre) unveiled plans to radically reform military and national service in Switzerland. These reforms will seek to change how the military and civil service are organised, and who is required to serve.
Faced with heightened global tensions, she argued Switzerland has to make its model of national service more responsive and sustainable. For instance, according to the latest data from the Army Census, the size of the Swiss Army will fall below 140.000 soldiers by 2030 if nothing is done to bolster troop numbers. In February 2024, Swiss Army chief Thomas Süssli admitted that the military could not defend the country for long if attacked.
Therefore, in addition to increasing military spending to 1 percent of GDP by 2030 - which the government argues will necessitate wide-ranging austerity measures in other areas - the Federal Department of Defence wrote that “the service profile of civil defence must be expanded.”
First, the Federal Council announced that it would be looking to make orientation days compulsory for all female Swiss citizens. “On this day, which is already compulsory for young men, the young women will receive an in-depth insight into the possibilities and opportunities in the army and civil defence,” the government wrote.
Officials hope the idea would convince more women to volunteer to serve, to bolster the young men who are required to serve by law. The executive is set to bring this proposal to parliament by the end of 2025 - though as it requires a change to the constitution, it will face a referendum.
The Federal Council also confirmed that the Department of Defence will conduct a new study where the “participation of foreigners in compulsory service is to be examined.” This idea will be analysed by the department, with a final decision on implementation set for 2027.
Speaking at the press conference, Amherd said that while expats would likely not be required to participate in the military, they are looking at conscripting holders of residence permits into the civilian services. "From our point of view, it would be possible for the foreign population to serve as part of disaster relief," she noted.
The announcement follows several proposals for special taxes and one-off fees to be imposed on new arrivals to Switzerland, on the basis that expats do not complete national service. In advocating for a 50.000-franc immigrant tax last October, economist Reiner Eichenberger argued that expats should be “required to make a contribution to society equal to the burden that Swiss soldiers have borne up to now."
Some within the Swiss People’s Party have even called for non-Swiss men to pay the same financial penalty as male citizens who do not complete national service.
However, the Federal Council’s plan will have to answer the same arguments as the taxes and fees. Indeed, opponents like the Social Democratic Party said that this approach could only be supported if expats were given the same rights as citizens, i.e the right to vote.
In its final announcement, the government said it will be moving forward with reforms it calls the “security service obligation.” Under the plans, all male Swiss citizens would be required to serve in the Army or the Katastrophenschutz (disaster service), which would be a merger of civil protection and civilian service.
The theory is that the new services would spend more time on civil protection than other non-defence-related activities. The government estimated that the new plan would cost 900 million francs, mainly due to accommodation and training costs.
An alternative plan, which would have required women to serve alongside men, was also considered but has taken a backseat for now. A final decision on these plans is also expected in 2027.