Parliament remains divided over whether a deal between Switzerland and the United States over confidential UBS client data should be put to a nationwide vote.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday insisted on the possibility of a referendum, while the Senate again came out against.
Most members of the centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens as well as many representatives of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party continued to call for a nationwide vote.
The centre-right stood by its rejection of a referendum.
Both chambers will now try to hammer out a compromise on Thursday.
Under a deal, agreed by the government last August, Switzerland was to hand over to the US details of up to 4,450 UBS accounts of clients suspected of tax evasion. But in January a court ruled the transfer of the data to Washington was illegal.
On Tuesday, a majority of the House had followed the Senate in approving the accord conditionally.
Urs Geiser, swissinfo.ch
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
The CHF1,000 dance of death and other unforgettable Swiss banknotes
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
House approves UBS-IRS deal with big caveat
This content was published on
Parliamentarians on Tuesday voted 81-61 to approve the controversial treaty with 53 abstentions and one sizeable hiccup: they also voted 106-80 to allow a possible referendum on the matter. The House’s decision was critical, as a “no” would have sunk the whole deal, which the government says is crucial toward maintaining a healthy economic position…
This content was published on
The deal was blocked in parliament after wrangling by two parties over banking regulation and capping managers’ bonuses. Economists immediately implored politicians to accept the deal for the good of the country. It was a theme picked up by the Tribune de Genève. “There is something pathetic about hearing economic circles begging the elected representatives…
This content was published on
Parliamentarians on Tuesday voted 104 to 76 against the controversial settlement deal on sharing banking data that was signed last August between the US and Switzerland. There were 16 abstentions. The decision is not final however and the issue will now go back to the Senate for review. The issue was hotly debated until late…
This content was published on
Over the past few years, UBS has garnered a lot of negative press. Extraordinary general assemblies and public protests have been occuring with increasing frequency.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.