Parliament deliberates SVP wants to oblige foreigners to finance the army

The army needs money - four billion francs. The SVP is therefore calling for a "security levy". Not everyone in parliament is enthusiastic about this proposal.

The Swiss army would be at a loss in an emergency. There is a lack of ammunition, war equipment and gear. That is why the Federal Council and the conservatives want to increase spending on the army. Parliament is now debating whether to increase the planned expenditure by around four billion.

The SVP parliamentary group is now calling for the introduction of a so-called "security tax" for foreign men without citizenship who have their permanent residence in Switzerland.

SVP National Councillor Alfred Heer is leading the charge, which would be based on the same parameters as the military service tax (WPE) for Swiss nationals who are not serving. This measure is intended to help finance the army.

For Heer, it is clear that "a good quarter of the population" benefits from a "solidarity contribution from young Swiss men" without having to provide anything in return. It is therefore appropriate "for reasons of solidarity and equal treatment" to oblige these people to pay a security levy.

Support from the center and FDP

In Switzerland, men between the ages of 19 and 37 are liable for military service. Anyone who is unfit for military or alternative service must make a total of eleven payments amounting to three percent of their taxable income or at least CHF 400 at this age. In 2023, 196,800 men paid around CHF 863 per person. If a "security levy" were introduced, the 389,000 people affected would be able to contribute hundreds of millions to the army coffers.

The center seems to find the SVP's proposal not so bad. Martin Candinas, a centrist member of the National Council, thinks it is an "idea worth considering", as he told "CH Media". FDP National Councillor Heinz Theiler also supports this - he says: "There are many foreigners who grow up here and postpone their naturalization so that they don't have to do military service." However, providing our security through the army does not come for free.

Not everyone is happy about the SVP's idea

SP National Councillor Priska Seiler Graf does not like the SVP's idea: "It is unacceptable that the foreign population should not be accommodated at all, as is the case with the right to vote for foreigners, for example, but that an additional special solution should be found for their duties," says the President of the Security Policy Committee. It is also strange to pay a substitute levy for something for which no service can be provided.

The SVP's proposal to pay a "security levy" is not new. Heer had already submitted a parliamentary initiative on this topic, which the National Council clearly rejected in June 2011. A central argument against this was that security is a state task that is financed by taxes, which means that foreigners also contribute to the costs of the army.

Even if the SVP wins a majority in parliament for its cause, the road to a security levy for foreigners is likely to be a long one. A referendum would be necessary, as the constitution currently stipulates that only Swiss nationals who are not performing military or alternative service owe a levy.