Revealed last year, the scandal of false signatures for popular initiatives has shaken one of the foundations of Swiss democracy. To fight against these abuses, the federal chancellery wants to develop a code of conduct. However, the project struggles to reach the actors concerned, RTS learned.
The Chancellor of the Confederation Viktor Rossi summoned this round table at the end of October 2024 to establish this code of conduct. Six months after its launch and four sessions later, it is clear that this project convinces fewer and fewer actors. Of the 29 organizations invited to the negotiating table, only eight were still present during the fourth session last Tuesday.
>> (Re-)lire : Scandal of signatures: is democracy for sale?
Among those who slammed the door, there are big fish such as the Swiss Union of Peasants or the Swiss Socialist Party. “All measures envisaged in this code of conduct are measures which are not binding, which operate only on a voluntary basis”, casts the Vaudois national socialist councilor Jean Tschopp. “Now, it is our popular rights that we are attacking here, and to protect them, we must act by law.”
Divergent interests
The main commercial harvesting companies have also left the ship, but for opposite reasons. According to them, the code provides rules that go “too far”. According to a version of the February 2025 project, which RTS has obtained, they concern in particular data protection, traceability or salaries of harvesters. According to the code, the latter should be paid on time or month, while they were so far mainly at the signature.
->> Read also: Harvest paid signatures, a common practice of parties
“In life, you have to adapt to changes to try to move forward,” said Jérôme Campese, director of the Vox Communication harvesting company, which itself practiced remuneration at the signature. The young entrepreneur, who has not had any mandate since the scandal, says he is ready to join the new rules: “It will allow us to professionalize the signatures harvesting. And the most important thing is that it is applied as soon as possible.”
According to the Chancellery, the final version of this code – which will remain optional – should be published soon. It remains to be seen who will really adhere to it.
TV subject: Maude Richon/Jean-Marc Heuberger
Text: Jop
