in Switzerland, people can raise “Popular initiatives” to modify the Constitutio...

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in Switzerland, people can raise “Popular initiatives ” to modify the Constitution. A referendum is organized to accept the modification, or not.

The text of this one (in french here) proposed to replace Art 59 of the Constitution (in English here ) by a voluntary civil service.

This proposal was rejected by 73% (so the compulsory military service remains), while 27% thought the voluntary civil service was a “viable alternative”.

it is a “failure” for those who organized the popular initiative. Of course they didn’t reach 50%, but even worse they didn’t reach 40%, which would be a political signal meaning “there’s something important here”. And not even 30% meaning “this is a topic”. With 27%, the subject if now “out of the political scope” for decades.