Despite Switzerland’s reputation for neutrality, the country is exceptionally well-prepared for conflict, with mandatory military service and legal requirements for nuclear bunkers in homes
“Switzerland is a neutral country” is the defining fact I grew up with, something ingrained in me from an early age and widely recognised by most people when they think of the nation of 9.1 million.
Yet, the concept of the military and defending my country was introduced in my life pretty quickly. When I was 17, I observed my male friends brace themselves for THE recruitment.
Those who were healthy and mentally stable enough would complete their mandatory military obligations. Meanwhile, the pacifists would have the option to do the civilian service. And those who were found not fit enough to serve in the Swiss army would be condemned to a decade-long period of extra taxation.
Us girls weren’t forced to endure that stress. But that doesn’t mean we weren’t acutely aware that our little neutral country was not extremely prepared for a potential war.
In fact, I realised early on that we seemed to be more prepared than other non-neutral nations. Nevertheless, I was an adult when I learned that growing up with a personal nuclear bunker was not a global, normal, thing.
I grew up on farmland, in a small village called Aire-la-Ville, located in the Geneva canton. In my house, where my parents and their dog still live, the bunker was promptly turned into a wine cellar.
The dry, chilled, well-insulated space made for the perfect place to store the alcohol, much appreciated in a country that produces fabulous rosés, reds, whites, and oranges. The ultra-secure bunker is ironically reminiscent of the Cold War era, with its green velvet carpet and brutalism.
The house was, afterall, built in the 1960s. The bunker is the only part of the house that has not been renovated and looks like a time capsule of another era.
But with World War 3 fears surging amid US Donald Trump’s antics, NATO’s potential collapse, Russia President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Ukraine, and all the other conflicts occurring in the world, that wine cellar may actually serve its original purpose.
Swiss neutrality policy is currently undergoing significant re-evaluation and adaptation due to ongoing trade pressure from the Trump administration and a changing geopolitical landscape. Swiss President Guy Parmelin is scheduled to meet with US officials at the World Economic Forum (WEF) to finalise a trade agreement.
The goal is to make permanent the reduction of US tariffs on Swiss goods from 39% to a maximum of 15%, matching the rate for the EU. The current 15% rate has been applied retroactively since November 14, 2025.
The Swiss government is also carefully navigating sensitive political topics, such as Trump’s plans regarding Greenland, to avoid jeopardizing the trade negotiations. As a Swiss, the prospect of my country not being neutral anymore is a possibility.
Nevertheless, I’ve been conditioned to believe that my country is well-prepared. For instance, it is a legal requirement for all residents to have access to a nuclear-hardened bunker.
While building regulations have evolved, the core principle of “shelter for all” is still mandated by federal law. Developers are required to include on-site bunkers for buildings with 38 rooms or more (roughly 25 shelter spaces).
Owners of smaller residential buildings that do not include a bunker must pay a “replacement contribution” to their municipality. Additionally, homeowners are legally responsible for maintaining private shelters, including clearing them within five days of a government order.
Periodic inspections occur every 10 years and failure to keep a shelter functional can result in fines of about 800 francs (£ 754) per spot. In fact, my parents will soon be due for a third inspection of their bunker.
With over 370,000 bunkers, Switzerland has the most bunkers per capita globally, but that’s not the only steps the country has implemented to keep itself safe. The central European nation is also one of the countries in the world with the most guns per capita.
Gun culture is actually completely normalised. You’d be shocked to know that we do love our guns in Switzerland, we just don’t produce a lot of school shootings like the other country that beats us in the department of most guns per capita.
One of my favourite activities is going gun-shooting with my father, who owns two registered weapons, and gun shooting is one of our national sports. Farmland is also something I’ve grown to respect and appreciate as a precious defense strategy.
Switzerland has mandatory strategic reserves (e.g., grain, sugar, cooking oil) managed by the private sector, designed to last for a short period until supply chains can be re-established or domestic production ramped up. My village, just like many other Swiss villages, has strict spatial planning laws with protection of “Crop Rotation Areas” (SDA) law to ensure the nation can feed itself during a military blockade or global crisis.
The government maintains a mandatory minimum of 438,483 hectares (approx. 1 million acres) of prime agricultural land that must be preserved for “strategic food security”. Construction on these protected farmland is generally prohibited unless it is directly necessary for agriculture.
In conclusion, for a neutral country, we are mega prepared for war.
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