Although Switzerland is already one of the European countries that, upon reaching adulthood, requires mandatory conscription for all male citizens, on October 26, 2023, a popular initiative called “For an Engaged Switzerland” was presented to Parliament. Through this initiative, its promoting committee, in addition to military service (and, in the case of conscientious objection, civil service), aims to introduce what it calls “civic service,” meaning an obligation for all Swiss citizens (including women) to perform an additional service for the benefit of the community, either within the army or in an environment that, from a social point of view, is equally relevant.
For critics of civic service, the committee’s error would not lie in an ideological calculation but in a material one: in other words, it would be a good initiative if it were not “too costly,” ironically, precisely for the community. Thus, the opposition does not challenge the conceptual framework of the committee; rather, it consistently plays its game on that very framework.
