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I received this last night asking for a representative to be sent – presume I was not the only one. Loving it! The Anti-FATCA movement is making progress!

Perhaps those of you in Switzerland could attend. Here it is:

The federal decree approving FATCA and federal law implementation will be published in the Federal Gazette on Thursday, October 3.

This leaves only a few days to decide whether or not we launch a referendum against the dictates of the USA, which seriously violates the sovereignty of Switzerland and the privacy of its citizens.

League Vaud decided to invite representatives of all the movements that support, in one way or another, a referendum against FATCA

Thursday October 3 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Federal Palace.


The session will begin with a round table in which a representative of each movement says what means the movement is willing to put in the battle.

It was not until the end of the round, when we have the overview of all available means (files, money, activists, etc..) That the decision will be taken or not referendum committee.

It is vital that any movement willing to support, in one way or another, a referendum against FATCA be represented at this meeting by a person authorized to make commitments on behalf of the movement.

Those attending this session (maximum of two representatives per movement) are requested to register with me by Wednesday, October 2 at noon.

For the League Vaud,

Denis Ramelet

PS: The meeting will be chaired by Olivier Delacrétaz, president of the League Vaud. This chair sitting in no way constitutes a claim of the Presidency of any referendum committee.

PPS: We would like to pay tribute to Mr. Philippe Nantermod (PLR), which launched the resistance movement in the spring, and Mr. Marc Studer (Lobby Citizens), which took over after the summer. Without their commitment, this meeting could not be convened.

 

44 thoughts on “Swiss REFERENDUM against #FATCA / Thursday October 3rd 2013”

  1. @All

    This is at Thursday October 3 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Federal Palace.

    I am in contact with the organizer, Philippe Nantermod. If anyone wants to come, or if you have any words of support that might be useful, email me at jim@globalstrategicpr.com and I’ll pass it on.

  2. I sure wish I had known about this a bit earlier!
    I have a business meeting tomorrow that I’m unable to postpone. 🙁
    Would loved to have been able to participate.

  4. I would love to attend, but heard of this too late. It is too late to take today off from work and we have too much at work going on right now.

  5. @All

    I have been in touch with a number of people in CH last night and this AM. It now looks like a referendum is more likely than not. If it happens, odds are that the IGA would be VOTED DOWN. That could be big! New developments coming. Stay tuned to this bat-channel . . .

  7. @Jim

    Someone here (sorry I can’t remember who or where) posted a link to an upcoming event that’s now passed, which was a public meeting hosted by the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce at UBS in NY to discuss the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.
    The Facebook page for the Consulate General of Switzerland posted this after the event, on October 1st:

    “Last evening, the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce (SACC) organized an interesting panel-discussion about US Tax rules relevant for the Swiss financial industry (FATCA, FBAR). Martin Neville, CEO of the SACC, was joined by world leading experts on tax regulations for a stimulating discussion. Check out he SACC’s hompage for upcoming events: http://www.amcham.ch/”

    Do you know any powers that be who could give us more information on the outcome of that meeting?

    A search of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce’s and the Swiss Consulate’s websites don’t mention it. I did however come up with the Chamber of Commerce’s position paper on the Swiss-US deal regarding the cooperation in tax matters, which supports the opinion of those here who say it’s an OVD program for the Swiss government:

    http://www.amcham.ch/news/downloads/130610_Position_Paper_June_2013_v2.pdf

  9. This is exciting indeed. Switzerland still remains the epicentre of all things related to offshore tax evasion. Has the US gone too far in its punishment of this nation?

  11. @All

    Update from a friend in CH. Very encouraging! There will be media reports on this tomorrow.

    Contact me at jim@globalstrategicpr.com if you want to get in touch with the organizers. I’m sure they can use help with signatures.

    Update:

    “A referendum committee has just been set up in Berne. They are set to launch a referendum, i.e. they will start gathering 50’000 signature nation-wide, which is feasible within 90 days commencing October 8. Unless they fail at this stage, which is unlikely, there will definitely be a popular vote on Fatca in the first half of 2014. The initiators are a coalition of lesser parties and grass-roots organizations, French speakers being vastly overrepresented at this early stage, but a prominent German speaking SVP MP is also on board and they will most likely receive wide support from SVP quarters even though the national party is not involved as such at the outset.”

  12. @ brockers. How exciting! finally things are moving against the global USG financial bullying.

  13. Just out (link to French original, Google translation following):

    http://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/5264500-un-referendum-sera-lance-contre-l-accord-fatca-avec-les-etats-unis.html

    Headline: “A referendum will be launched against the FATCA agreement with the United States”
    03.10.2013 9:29 p.m.

    A committee was formed Thursday to launch a referendum against the FATCA agreement that Switzerland transmit data from U.S. taxpayers to the tax authorities of the United States.
    A referendum will be launched against the tax agreement says FATCA agreement with the United States. A committee was formed Thursday to call the Vaud League [la Ligue vaudoise], said it in a statement.

    The committee has 100 days to collect 50,000 signatures. Besides Vaud League, he meets various personalities from the Citizens Lobby, the UDC, the ASIN, the Lega or Young4Fun.

    Close to the automatic exchange

    The MCG and Business Centre support the approach, the statement, as well as the Swiss Pirate Party. Several human movements freedoms and sovereignty unite against the law, he added.

    The FATCA agreement was roofed by parliament during the last session. It regulates the transfer of banking data as close to the automatic exchange system. With this treaty, Switzerland should end the fiscal conflict against the United States.

  14. Yet more (auf deutsch). Good to see parliamentary participation:

    http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/schweiz/standard/Komitee-egreift-Referendum-gegen-Fatca/story/18461497

    Committee egreift referendum against FATCA
    Updated on 03.10.2013
    Representatives of the SVP and the Lega AUNS have teamed up to fight the U.S. FATCA tax law. The leadership of the referendum committee could fall SVP National Lukas Reimann.

    The Federal Council has to expect resistance to new FATCA: Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf and SVP National Lukas Reimann talk about a newspaper article. (10 December 2009)

    Against the U.S. tax law FATCA launch a referendum in Switzerland. The referendum committee was established in Berne. “The decision to launch a referendum is like. By 8 October, the Committee will organize and submit a press release, “says Olivier Delacrétaz, President of the« Ligue Vaudois “, according to a preliminary report by the newspaper” L’Agefi “on Friday.

    The Geneva SVP National Yves Nidegger confirmed in the evening to the news agency sda information. The committee has 100 days of time in order to collect 50,000 valid signatures for a referendum.

    Geneva citizens tissue thereby narrowing MCG

    Apart from the “Ligue Vaudois» Various representatives of the committee SVP , the Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland (AUNS), the Lega or represented by Young4Fun. The concern is supported among others by the Geneva Citizens ‘Movement MCG, the western Swiss Centre Patronal employers’ organization and the Pirate Party.

    The leadership of the referendum committee could the St. Gallen SVP National Lukas Reimann or his party colleague Yves Nidegger fall, as the latter said. The decision will be coming soon.

    FATCA (“Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act”), the U.S. commit foreign banks to report accounts of U.S. clients with their tax authorities. The banks do not, they are effectively excluded from the U.S. capital market. The scheme comes close to an automatic compensation information. The Swiss Parliament approved the FATCA agreement in the autumn session.

  15. and in Italian:

    http://www.ticinonews.ch/articolo.aspx?id=312588&rubrica=14

    FATCA agreement: referendum announced

    There will be a referendum on the tax agreement with the United States FATCA, which opens a breach in the major Swiss bank secrecy for American citizens with business relationships in Switzerland. The announcement was made ​​this evening with a statement by the “Ligue vaudoise”, an array of the right that is fighting for the strengthening of the Vaudois. “It was the decision to launch the referendum,” the statement said. It has also formed a committee “and” we will make a statement to the press “by October 8, did you know the president of the” Ligue “Olivier Delacrétaz. ATS

  16. If the referendum successfully gets the 50,000 signatures – which I hope, it should put a spanner or two in the FATCA machinery if passed. The only trouble I can see is the banking industry using fear tactics that everyone will be out of a job if passed. However such a banking industry campaign could backfire on them if their not extremely careful. It’s the classic small country saying NO to a bigger one regardless of the perceived consequences.

    If I’m the right side of the pond when it’s held I would certainly consider travelling to Switzerland to help out with the NO campaign.

    Switzerland has to hold its ground and say NO to FATCA.

  18. @Jim

    What would constitute a “valid” signature? Should I assume that the petition requires you to be a resident of Switzerland?

  22. Thanks, guys. Anything anyone with Swiss connections can do to move this forward it crucial. I think there’s an excellent chance that if it comes to a vote, the IGA goes down.

    As for the role of the big banks, who invested a lot in getting the IGA pass in the foolish hope it would save them, and maybe have an incentive to sink the referendum, a Swiss friend suggests:

    ‘No, upon the whole I believe they are thinking about whether this whole business of FATCA/DoJ was such a good idea. So they will observe very carefully what is going on.

    ‘Here is more or less a scenario of phases. Representatives of official circles might first studiously ignore it, hoping it will go away; then dismiss it, offhandedly; perhaps, then display alarm and say that it’s a bad idea. But (providing the campaign keeps its steam, while remaining friendly) they might start thinking about it and then say “Well after all, that might be a good option”.’

  25. For insight into the Swiss character regarding conflict and neutrality – and why it is a bad idea to engage them in a trade war regarding banking – read John McPhee’s excellent 1984 book about the Swiss Army: LA PLACE DE LA CONCORDE SUISSE

    Here’s an excerpt from a 1984 review in the NY Times.

    https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/07/05/specials/mcphee-place.html

    “NEUTRAL – AND ARMED TO THE TEETH”

    “WHEN foreigners think of Switzerland, they think of banks, mountains, chocolate bars and clocks.

    When the Swiss think of it, they tend to think of their army, the most representative and democratic in the world. The Swiss constitution states baldly, ”Military service is mandatory for every Swiss male” and they mean ”mandatory.” Last year 745 conscientious objectors were jailed for refusing to serve. ”Switzerland does not have an army,” says one of John McPhee’s informants in ”La Place de la Concorde Suisse.” ”Switzerland is an army.”
    Text:

    This is an ancient and honorable conception of the people’s duty in a democracy. Nearly 500 years ago Machiavelli wrote that the Swiss were ”most armed and most free.” sionals to do all sorts of dirty work, but try that with the citizen-soldier and you end with a domestic crisis, as the French found in Algeria and the Americans in Vietnam. The citizen in uniform fights for what he thinks right and votes against political leaders who displease him.

    Since 1515, the Swiss have scrupulously avoided foreign entanglements. The Swiss army, which today can mobilize 10 percent of the whole population within 48 hours, defends the neutrality of the confederation against all enemies.

    If the United States had an army of comparable size, it would amount to more than 22 million people…”

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