Switzerland as a scapegoat

The daily Le Quotidien sees the criticism of tax havens as an attempt to make Switzerland into a scapegoat for the continuting financial crisis: "We all know that in times of crisis people always look for a scapegoat ... that one can pull out of the hat to blame for the troubles of the world. And indeed France and Germany have found the answer to the question 'Who is responsible for the financial crisis?': namely, the tax havens. We are not disputing the fact that these tax havens have led the way in covering up information and have thus aggravated the financial crisis that was triggered by a lack of transparency. Yet in times of crisis a discussion about tax havens [allows] ... those states who believe themselves to be above all wrongdoing to point a finger at the states they hold responsible for all the ills of the world. And since those who are absent are always in the wrong, responsibility has been shifted to Switzerland, which Germany would like to see put on the OECD blacklist of tax havens."

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