‘Signatures scam’ reveals cracks in Swiss system

Once upon a time paper was seen as a guarantee of security in the Swiss voting system. Those days are over. With the so-called signatures scam, Switzerland is facing a paradigm shift. What happened? Commercial signature collectors are alleged to have forged signatures on a large scale in Switzerland. Around a dozen popular initiatives, which require at least 100,000 signatures to be validated, are suspected of having been put before voters thanks to forged signatures. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General is underway. Meanwhile politicians are calling for new measures. What an investigation by Tamedia newspapers has brought to light has hit Switzerland to the core. Trust in procedures is at stake, as is direct democracy. The Federal Chancellery says so far there is no evidence that initiatives built on forged signatures went to the ballot box. But can this reassurance be trusted? One in three signatures or identities on the collection forms for people’s initiatives ...