Swiss Voters Reject Effort to Abolish Their Army By ELIZABETH OLSON
GENEVA, Dec. 2 — Swiss voters, turning aside arguments that their citizen army is outdated and unnecessary, today firmly rejected an effort to abolish the armed forces.
In a nationwide vote, one of several each year in which citizens decide many of the country's most pressing issues, Swiss voters also rebuffed a measure to impose a tax on capital gains. The vote leaves Switzerland and Greece the only two European countries that do not impose such a levy.
Only about 22 percent of voters favored ending the army. Voters also rejected a companion initiative to create a voluntary civilian peace corps.
This was the second time in 12 years that voters have been asked to decide whether to abolish the citizen army, in which nearly all the country's able-bodied men serve. The army has enjoyed a near mythic status as the invincible force that protected Switzerland from invasion.
A coalition called Switzerland Without an Army, which collected the required 100,000 signatures to bring about a vote, contends that since the end of the cold war, the justification for Swiss forces as a bulwark against invasion has disappeared. The landlocked country is surrounded by friendly nations and faces no threat, the group says.
The government had urged voters to reject the initiative.
Although the campaign was low- key, it is likely that the events of Sept. 11 shaped the outcome.
Since then, Switzerland has undergone a series of catastrophes — its worst mass killing, the abrupt bankruptcy of its national air carrier, a severe accident in a major Alpine tunnel and a serious airliner crash. Those events have put people on edge and have apparently stiffened resistance to making changes, especially one that would have ended one of Switzerland's most cherished institutions.
The army is viewed not only as a social leveler but also as a means of unifying a country with three cultures and four languages.
A similar proposal in 1989 to jettison Switzerland's armed force garnered support from a third of those voting, prompting an overhaul of the army, which is still under way. The current force of about 350,000 soldiers, mostly reservists, is being reduced by almost half.
While Switzerland is officially neutral, it contributes troops to peacekeeping missions.
A truer test of Swiss sentiment on the country's place in the world will occur in March when voters decide whether to join the United Nations. While the Swiss provide troops to certain United Nations missions, like the one in Kosovo, and the organization's European headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland has never joined the organization.
The capital gains tax, which had been favored by trade unions, was opposed by the government and by businesses. They contended that such a tax would amount to double taxation because Switzerland already has a wealth tax.
Voters, however, agreed to another government-endorsed measure — to put a ceiling on state debt, requiring the government to amass surpluses in boom years to offset deficits in leaner years.
Items compiled from Chicago Tribune news services
Published December 3, 2001
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- Swiss voters Sunday overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to scrap the armed forces, cherished by many as vital protection for the small, long-neutral Alpine country in the heart of Europe.
Only 384,991 people, or 21.9 percent of those participating, voted in favor of the initiative.
The proposal was put forward by a coalition called Switzerland Without an Army under a law that allows anyone to force a referendum by collecting 100,000 signatures from voters.
"The lack of security following the Sept. 11 attacks made it difficult to conduct a reasoned discussion of defense policy," said Jo Lang, spokesman for the coalition.