Voting Sunday in the ticker Billionaire calls for higher taxes for the rich +++ Citizen service only met with some approval among young people

The Swiss electorate will decide today on two important proposals: a national inheritance tax of CHF 50 million or more and the introduction of a general citizens' service. All the news in the ticker.

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5.30 a.m.

Service-citizen initiative only found some support among young people

The service-citizen initiative was rejected by men and women alike with 84%. The initiative was most popular among people with a compulsory school-leaving certificate and 18 to 34-year-olds. This is the result of the post-election survey conducted by Tamedia and "20 Minuten".

In this age group of young people, 22 percent voted yes, according to the press release issued on Monday. Among people aged 50 and over, only 13 percent were in favor. Around a third of people (32%) who only attended compulsory school were in favor of the initiative. The initiative was least popular among people with an apprenticeship or a commercial diploma (11 percent).

There were also differences according to income. Among people earning over CHF 16,000 per month, approval was 22%. At 13%, it was lowest in the CHF 4001 to 7000 income group. There were also differences in terms of housing situation: 12% of people in rural areas voted yes, compared to almost a fifth in urban areas and 18% in cities. The service-citoyen initiative was rejected at the ballot box on Sunday with 84.2 percent voting no.

The "20 Minuten"/Tamedia post-election survey was conducted in collaboration with the Leewas Institute. The results are based on 10,917 survey participants (7445 from German-speaking Switzerland, 3248 from French-speaking Switzerland and 224 from Ticino). The survey was conducted between November 27 and 30, 2025. The sample error range is plus/minus 2.8 percentage points.

Monday, December 1, 2025, 4.30 a.m.

After the no to the Juso initiative: Alfred Gantner calls for higher taxes for the rich

Following the no vote on the inheritance tax initiative, entrepreneur Alfred Gantner has called for a progressive wealth tax for the super-rich in the Tamedia newspapers. "With assets of, for example, 3 billion Swiss francs, perhaps 60 million would be due in taxes per year," he calculated, according to the media outlet. The co-owner of private equity firm Partners Group also criticized the flat-rate taxation of wealthy foreigners in Switzerland. According to Tamedia, he said that Switzerland was attracting good taxpayers from abroad, which was unfair to neighboring countries.

17.19

Average turnout for Juso initiative and citizen service

The Juso initiative for a climate inheritance tax and the service-citoyen initiative for a compulsory citizens' service mobilized voters slightly less than the average of recent years. Around 43% of eligible voters cast their votes on the two referendums at the weekend.

This means that the two proposals, for which a "no" vote was to be expected from the polls, mobilized slightly less than the abolition of the imputed rental value and the introduction of electronic proof of identity (e-ID) at the end of September. At that time, around 50 percent of those eligible took part in the vote.

The turnout for the four federal proposals of March 2024 - including the initiative for a 13th AHV pension - was as high as around 58%.

3.50 p.m.

Final results are in

The final figures from the Federal Statistical Office are now available: 78.3 percent of voters rejected the Juso initiative, while 84.2 percent said no to the service-citizen initiative.

2.55 pm

No red card for Juso after all

The city of Bern and the 34-soul village of Schelten in the Bernese Jura are the only Swiss municipalities so far to have said yes to the Juso inheritance tax initiative. According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the approval rate in the city of Bern was 50.7 percent.

All results at a glanceHow your municipality voted

In Schelten BE, ten voters approved the initiative, while eight rejected it. This results in an even higher approval rate of 55.6%. Bern and Schelten are the only municipalities in Switzerland to have said yes to the "For a future" initiative shortly before the final result.

There was a stalemate in Les Enfers in the Jura, where 23 voters rejected and 23 approved the initiative. In around a dozen municipalities in Bern and western Switzerland - including Lausanne, Vevey VD, Fribourg and Biel BE - there was a Yes vote of over forty percent.

The vast majority of the more than 2,000 municipalities in Switzerland clearly said no to a national inheritance tax in favor of the climate. There were no Yes votes at all in Seehof BE, Berken BE, Riemenstalden SZ, Zwischbergen VS and Bister VS. Across Switzerland, around 80 percent of voters rejected the Juso initiative.

2.51 p.m.

Service-citoyen initiator: "Important topic brought to the table"

The initiators are disappointed about the clear rejection of the service-citizen initiative. "But we have put an issue on the table that has been completely ignored until now," said Noémie Roten, President of the initiative committee, to the Keystone-SDA news agency.

It is about security, cohesion in Switzerland and equality. According to Roten, the committee has made an important contribution to the debate on these issues. The discussion on how society should prepare for these major challenges must now be continued.

According to the initiator, the fact that a citizens' service has nevertheless received little support is due in particular to the small initiative committee. "We fought against the entire political establishment," Roten told Keystone-SDA. It was a major battle, in which the committee was unable to get its message across sufficiently due to limited resources. In addition, the population lacked a proper information base. "A lot of falsehoods were told about our initiative," said Roten.

1.41 p.m.

Swissmem warned of the "domino effect"

The mechanical, electrical and tech industry is highly satisfied with the clear "no" to the Juso initiative. In a statement, Swissmem speaks of a "strong commitment to family businesses, entrepreneurial freedom and the preservation of jobs".

In the statement, the association makes it clear that the initiative was about fundamental issues. Swissmem warns of a "domino effect": a yes vote would have weakened family businesses - including large corporations - and jeopardized investments. The fact that the electorate did not take this risk is a "very clear signal to politicians" to strengthen the framework conditions for Switzerland as a business location.

Swissmem also welcomes the "no" to the Service Citoyen Initiative. According to the association, compulsory civil service would have weakened the army, burdened associations and the economy and kept hundreds of thousands of young people out of the workplace at a time when there is a shortage of skilled workers.

1.29 pm

Juso sharply criticizes Federal Council and "billion-dollar business lobby"

For the Juso, voting Sunday was de facto over shortly before 1.30 pm. The young party sent out its media release on the defeat of the initiative and spoke of an "unprecedented smear campaign by the richest". According to the press release, the "billion-dollar business lobby" prevented any substantive debate and ran the campaign specifically against the Young Party rather than against the proposal itself.

The FDP and Economiesuisse had tried to block the debate on wealth concentration and the climate crisis with "false claims and targeted scaremongering". "However, hundreds of conversations on the street have shown me that the population sees the problem and wants solutions," Juso President Mirjam Hostetmann is quoted as saying.

The Juso also made serious accusations against the Federal Council, claiming that it had provided "insufficient data" despite sufficient time and had openly announced that it would not implement the initiative correctly if it was accepted. This is a "democratic political failure" and shows how closely government and economic interests are intertwined.

1.23 p.m.

Both initiatives fail due to a majority of the cantons

Both the Service Citoyen Initiative and the Inheritance Tax Initiative are clearly rejected. It has now also been definitively confirmed that the initiatives failed due to a majority of the cantons. It currently looks like the two initiatives will be rejected in all 26 cantons.

1.19 pm

Juso campaign party lasted late into the night

Just over 50 Juso members gathered at the Progr in Bern, the capital's former Progymnasium, on voting Sunday. The mood is relaxed, but during the cigarette break outside they also talk about the hangover from the previous evening. According to blue News, the young party had already celebrated an intensive campaign party in the Prozessbar on Saturday evening, to which members from all over Switzerland had traveled.

They celebrated the campaign for their "IfeZ", as the Juso call the inheritance tax initiative. The campaign also included collecting around 110,000 signatures, a hurdle for popular initiatives that even major parties such as the FDP failed to clear with their bureaucracy initiative in 2010.

One member told blue News: "Even though we lost, we need debates like this. The opponents' campaign was pretty wild at times. Without such celebrations, where we encourage each other, we wouldn't be able to challenge capitalists like Spuhler or Blocher so vigorously."

1.02 pm

Second projection is out

The second projection shows hardly any shifts. The inheritance tax initiative remains at 21 percent in favor, in no canton does it look like approval. The Service-Citoyen-Initiative is also facing defeat without discussion, with 84 percent saying no.

12.49 p.m.

"Tax was the focus from the start"

There is no inheritance tax in Switzerland to benefit the climate. According to the first projection by gfs.bern on behalf of SRG, the Juso initiative "for a future" has been rejected with 79% of votes against. Polls had led us to expect this.

Political scientist Lukas Golder spoke of a "deep red No" and a "very low Yes percentage" on Swiss television SRF at midday. The early announcement by business leaders that they would move out of Switzerland if they voted yes to the initiative had caused many people to have doubts.

"Right from the start, the issue was not a big hit", said political scientist Urs Bieri on Swiss radio SRF. It was not possible to demonstrate the advantages of the initiative. "The climate issue was only discussed in passing, the focus was on the tax." The same observation also applies to 2015, the last time a national inheritance tax was rejected at the ballot box.

12.47 pm

Wermuth: "Don't sell Mars or Snickers"

The inheritance tax was clearly rejected on Sunday. A similar initiative was already rejected around 10 years ago - albeit less clearly. Cédric Wehrmuth, Co-President of the SP, says in an interview with SRF that he wants to continue fighting against social injustice. "I have never run an election campaign based on polls. I want to convince people of what I think is right - I'm not selling Mars or Snickers," says Wermuth.

12.42 p.m.

Demonstrative cheers from the Juso

Shortly after 12.30 p.m., the first forecast figures for voting Sunday are available - and they are devastating for the Juso initiative. According to a survey by GFS Bern, the "Initiative for a Future" was rejected with around 84% of votes against.

This means that the result is even more clearly below the expectations of the polls. Although it is not quite as drastic as the 92% rebuff to the Green Liberals' energy policy initiative in 2015, which sought to introduce an energy tax instead of VAT, everything points to a clear defeat this time too.

Nevertheless, the reaction of the 50 or so Juso members present was calm: They clapped for a long time - albeit much more quietly than later, when the No forecast for the Service-Citoyen initiative was announced.

12.40 p.m.

"Now it's quiet here"

Cheers at the Aeusserer Stand restaurant in Bern. The counter-committee to the inheritance tax initiative has gathered there. The initiative was rejected on Sunday with around 80 percent of votes against. Monika Rühl from Economiesuisse told SRF that they wanted to send out a clear signal. That's why a lot was invested in the referendum campaign when the No vote was already clear. "That was successful and now there should be peace and quiet. We don't have to keep voting on the same thing, the Swiss don't want inheritance tax."

12.33 p.m.

Service Citizens' Initiative is punished

There is no compulsory civil service for all men and women in Switzerland. According to the trend calculation by gfs.bern on behalf of SRG, the Service Citoyen Initiative was rejected by 84%. This is a clearer result than the polls had led us to expect.

12.30 p.m.

First projection is out

The first SRG projection confirms the trend: both national proposals are clearly rejected.

For inheritance tax, the "no" vote is 79 percent, for the Service Citoyen 84 percent.

12.25 p.m.

No camp demands compulsory security service after citizens' service rejection

Following the looming rejection of the Service Citoyen initiative, the No committee is calling for measures to strengthen the army. It is now up to the Federal Council to come up with an effective long-term solution for securing the personnel of the army and civil defense.

"We are now awaiting the Federal Council's proposal for the implementation of the security service obligation," National Councillor Reto Nause (center/BE), President of the Swiss Security Alliance, was quoted as saying in a press release on Sunday.

The next step for the Swiss Security Alliance is the package of measures already being discussed by parliament to strengthen civil defense. "However, we need compulsory security services in order to safeguard stocks in the long term," said National Councillor Micheal Götte (SVP/SG).

12.12 p.m.

Cautious Juso room with first trend - loud cheers for the Service-Citoyen proposal

Shortly after 12 noon, when SRF published the first No trend on the inheritance tax initiative, only a low murmur could be heard in the Juso room. Those present were hardly surprised by the clear and early rejection.

The reaction a few seconds later was completely different: When the trend towards the Service-Citoyen bill became known, loud cheers erupted. Apparently, this proposal moved those present more than their own initiative.

12.05 p.m.

Hostetmann: "Juso has refused to accept lies as reality"

Juso President Mirjam Hostetmann lashed out against wealth concentration and "rich lobbies" at the closing event of the inheritance tax initiative at the Progr in Bern. She said that the campaign had hit the "nerve of the times" and made many people aware of the consequences of extreme inequality.

The fierce reactions of opponents were "a sign of their fear" because the idea of taxing the rich more heavily was no longer a marginal issue. Hostetmann also emphasized that the Juso had shown that it "refuses to accept lies as reality", can withstand political pressure and jointly promote social and ecological issues.

12.05 p.m.

Two "deep red no" votes on the horizon

According to JRC politician Lukas Golder, both proposals are likely to be rejected with a "deep red no": "In the case of inheritance tax, we expect a yes vote of around 20 percent," Golder told SRF. The verdict is expected to be even clearer in the case of the service coyote: "The Yes share is likely to be significantly less than 20 percent."

12 noon

No trend for both proposals

The initial trend on the national proposals confirms what the polls had suggested: both the Juso inheritance tax and the service coyote have no chance in the eyes of the electorate. A clear "no" is emerging for both proposals, as the JRC Bern research institute published on behalf of the SRG.

The first projection on the clarity of the results is expected at 12.30 pm.

11.33 a.m.

First Aargau municipality publishes results

Although the results should not actually be published until 12.00 noon, individual municipalities in Aargau are already reporting figures early. In Berikon, a clear trend is emerging: both the Juso initiative and the Service-Citoyen proposal are clearly failing. The inheritance tax only received 100 votes - with 1,261 votes against, this corresponds to a Yes share of just 7.35 percent. The citizens' service received 181 votes in favor, which is "still" 13.39 percent.

11.15 a.m.

As reported by blue News

blue News reports on the latest results in this live ticker. There are also numerous votes at cantonal level, which you can find here:

Cantonal votes in the tickerBang in the Zurich Oberland - municipality rejects hospital financing +++ Rebuff for SP and Greens on 30 km/h speed limit

Want to know how your municipality voted? You can find all the important graphics here:

All results at a glanceHow your municipality voted

blue News reporter Petar Marjanović also gets to grips with the parties in Bern.

11 am

Timetable for the voting Sunday

The polls close in Switzerland at 12 noon. The first results from the municipalities are expected at the same time. A first projection will follow at 12.30 p.m., with a further projection expected half an hour later. The result should then be known in the afternoon or early evening.

9 a.m.

Voting Sunday is coming up

Today, the ballot box will decide on two proposals that are likely to have a political impact far beyond the Sunday vote. Voters will decide on the Juso inheritance tax of CHF 50 million or more and on the "Service Citoyen", which aims to introduce compulsory service for all. The latest polls clearly point to two no votes - but how strong the rejection actually is and in which regions the proposals can score points is likely to provide plenty to talk about. blue News will keep you up to date here throughout the day.

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With its "For a future" initiative , the Juso wants to make particularly large fortunes pay more. A national inheritance and gift tax of 50 percent on amounts over CHF 50 million per person is envisaged. Anything less would remain tax-free. The revenue would be earmarked for climate protection.

The initiators argue that extremely wealthy individuals should share more of the consequential costs of climate change. Critics, on the other hand, warn of considerable side effects: Family businesses could come under pressure in succession situations because high tax demands could lead to forced sales. There is also a risk that the wealthy in particular will leave Switzerland - with negative consequences for tax revenues.

The second proposal concerns the introduction of a mandatory citizens' service. If it passes, all young people would have to perform a service in future, for example in civil protection, cyber defense, healthcare or education. The army and civil defense would continue to receive sufficient personnel, but would be part of the compulsory service landscape.

Supporters point out that such civil service would strengthen social cohesion and enable deployments in line with the skills of those serving. Opponents, however, doubt the benefits and speak of over-recruitment: more people would be called up than the army and civil defense actually need. It is also problematic to conscript women, who currently perform a large proportion of unpaid care work. There is also criticism that young adults may be deployed in completely new professional fields - and could therefore lose valuable training time.