The House of Representatives has refused to ratify an agreement on inheritance tax between Switzerland and France, with many parliamentarians considering it an attack on Swiss sovereignty. A clear majority rejected the accord, under which inheritances would be taxed based on where the recipient resides not where the deceased person lived, as used to be the case. While the Senate still has to determine its position, it seems likely that parliament’s other chamber will also give the deal short shrift when its turn to vote comes. Parliamentarians on the political right, especially those from cantons closest to France, led the charge against the deal, stating that it impinged on Swiss sovereignty. Christian Lüscher from the centre-right Radical Party called on his colleagues to reject a “diktat from a friendly neighbour”, while the rightwing Swiss People’s Party representative Jean-François Rime said the accord had been cash-strapped France’s sole success in tax ...
