It’s almost a law of nature: In Switzerland, everything begins “voluntarily” and ends in a pile of forms with the threat of punishment. Why is that? Perhaps because the state has mastered the same trick as every dealer: the first dose is free, after that you’re addicted. Welcome to a country where freedom is regulated step by step. To put it ironically: Switzerland is the true inventor of the “creeping obligation”.
From a good idea to compulsion: Swiss classics
- Former understanding of militia – today state compulsion: compulsory military service with penalties for refusal.
- Military service tax – no service? Then you pay 3% income tax for up to 11 years.
- Health insurance – previously voluntary, since 1996 compulsory for all.
- Radio and TV licence fees (Billag/Serafe) – in the past, anyone who had a device paid. Today, every household pays, even if they live in an alpine hut without electricity.
- Compulsory schooling – once a family matter, now compulsory with fines if parents don’t comply.
- Mandatory reporting – previously optional, now mandatory, otherwise there’s trouble.
- AHV number – from the insurance number to the universal personal identification number.
Safety first – coercion too
- Seat belt obligation in the car (1981) – from “it would be smart” to a fine.
- Helmet compulsory (1981) – initially a free decision, today a penalty without a helmet.
- Child seats in the car – recommendation became law.
- Fire brigade – once purely voluntary work in many communes, now a civic duty in many cantons: either service or a substitute contribution.
- Dog owner obligations – once voluntary courses, then compulsory with fees.
And recent history?
- Compulsory masks (2020) – from “no point” to “whoever wants to can” to: put it on or go home.
- Covid certificate (2021) – from “handy for holidays” to “no restaurant, no university, no job without it”.
- VAT (1995) – introduced at 6.5 %, supposedly ‘small and manageable’, today 8.1 % (and rising, and extended to almost all areas of life).
- Alcohol bans & smoking bans – once a polite request, now with the force of law.
- to 389… the list could go on and on.
The pattern is clear:
Always the same: first they smile, “all voluntary”. Then comes the raised index finger, “strongly recommended”. And at the end, the letter from the office is in the box, “mandatory, otherwise a fine”.
The recipe is as old as it is transparent: first the carrot, then the stick.
And the E-ID?
Of course, this time everything will be different. Today a nice login for tax returns, tomorrow the key to your bank account, the day after tomorrow the prerequisite for having a job and at some point you’ll need it to buy a train ticket or even have an account. Anyone who thinks they are “good enough” and will therefore not be blocked should urgently review the last few years.
At some point, everything becomes a duty! Why is that?
Because power never stands still. Because bureaucracies grow like weeds: once sown, they proliferate. Because it is always easier for the state to impose obligations than to defend freedom. In short: coercion is convenient – for “those at the top”.
And honestly: Couldn’t you at least wear a sticker “up there”? Or a PIN on your lapel so that we can immediately recognise who you are? “Hello, I’m from the office and I just want to help you.” At least that would be honest.
You seriously ask yourself: what’s the point of all this? At some point, they will not only standardise our lives, but also our beds. First came the EU with the famous condom standardisation. Just to guarantee “safety”, of course. Then the bottle tops that you can hardly get off any more, supposedly for “sustainability reasons”. And then you end up buying an instruction manual just to open a carton of milk.
The pattern is always the same: first they sell it to us as a brilliant idea. Then as a protective measure. And before we know it, it’s law. And we ask ourselves: when exactly did the trap snap shut?
How stupid are we that we fall for the same trick every time and then pretend to be surprised?
