Sicherheit 2013

The annual study 'Security' ('Sicherheit'), a joint publication by the CSS and the MILAK, evaluates long-term trends and tendencies in public opinion on foreign, security, and defense policy issues in Switzerland. It is based on representative surveys conducted every year. The study is published in German containing summaries in German, French, Italian, and English. The 2013 edition of the study is based on a representative survey of 1,200 Swiss citizens of voting age, conducted in January and February 2013. In the year 2013, Swiss citizens felt safe. Compared to the previous year, the Swiss population regarded the future of Switzerland with greater optimism and was also considerably less pessimistic regarding the development of global affairs. They also continue to aim for maximum leeway in foreign policy matters. Thus, the bilateral approach to(purely) economic cooperation with the EU currently enjoys broad support, while the willingness to move closer to the EU or to join it has remained at a historic low. By comparison, the principle of neutrality as well as the perceived purpose of neutrality enjoy high popularity when compared with long-term responses. Moreover, support for the militia army and general conscription increased markedly during the period in question. Special attention was devoted in this year’s survey to various measures in the areas of domestic security, positive and negative aspects of conscription, alternative service models, the compatibility of military service and professional life, and conscription for Swiss citizens with a migration background. As always, the numbers supporting these trends are listed in the current volume. The time series thus grow longer with each volume, gradually approximating the goal of the study: to visualize longer-term opinion formation on foreign, security, and defense policy matters among the Swiss population.