Our Mission Statement
Our goal is to defend the Swiss constitution and direct democracy.
We advocate the full and unconditional application of the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Swiss Federal Constitution. We are also committed to the completion of direct democracy, i.e. an expansion of the people's rights and the constitutional anchoring of control mechanisms of the sovereign vis-à-vis the executive bodies.
We are political freethinkers.
We come from the middle of society and represent different social classes, all age groups, come from various political camps and defy the traditional left-right schema.
In our dealings with each other, we are guided by the Preamble of the Federal Constitution and the Charter of the Association.
All people in Switzerland are responsible citizens who assume their own responsibility.
We trust in the power of personal responsibility and claim the right to assess risks to ourselves, others and our environment. We are guided by the Preamble of the Federal Constitution and the Charter of the Association.
Regional groups and sections enable members to exchange information with each other.
We are organised in small, manageable groups in which people know each other, exchange ideas and provide support and back each other up. The regional groups are the first point of contact for members. The regional groups are well connected with each other, in the sections and with other organisations. We all ensure the good reputation of the Friends of the Constitution is kept.
Only dialogue can take us further.
We participate in relevant political discourses. In doing so, we value tolerance, appreciation and openness towards other opinions and seek exchange and controversy at eye level. We make use of all democratic freedoms as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and cultivate a mutual information culture.
Scientific and evidence-based facts are our sources.
Due to our constant search for truth, we do not take dogmatic stances. We support ourselves broadly and communicate comprehensibly and transparently.
Exchange with other organisations is important and necessary.
We attach great importance to cooperation with other organisations that pursue the same goals and are committed to the same values and attitudes. We encourage mutual support and networking between partner organisations.
Our Charter
The Friends of the Constitution uphold themselves for a free, independent, just, united, humanistic and life-respecting Switzerland in the spirit of the Preamble of the Federal Constitution (BV). They revive the oath taken on the Rütli and commit themselves to the Constitution in the spirit of the founders of the Confederation.
Our Values
The Friends of the Constitution advocate a non-violent society that promotes peace and is characterised by the values of freedom, equality, fraternity, transparency and tolerance. They promote the preservation of the following values:
- Independence in the fields of education, science, politics, religion and culture: realisation and preservation of the right to freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of faith and conscience, as well as personal freedom in dealing with illness and health in order to preserve physical and mental integrity.
- The right of the people to have the government act accordingly and in relation with the people’s interest in mind: The people, as the highest governmental power, have the right for full transparency regarding governmental actions as well as access and the right to review and co-determine governmental measures.
- Legal equality for all, regardless of nationality, origin, gender, skin colour, faith, age or wealth, while promoting cultural diversity. Commitment to national and international agreements that are reached democratically and promote justice.
- Solidary behavior in economic life, production, trade and consumption of goods and services. The guidelines are a common good-oriented economy, meaningful gainful employment and the resulting creation of value, social and ecological suitability for grandchildren, solidarity and the well-being of the people living in Switzerland as well as the human family as a whole. A currency that is independent of other currencies, that offers as little loss of purchasing power as possible and that eliminates the compulsion to grow. The use of the currency must guarantee the anonymity of the individual.
Friends of the Constitution respect every living being and pledge to speak and act with mindful and peaceful words and actions.
Bern, 3 November 2020
Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation
Federal Constitution
of the Swiss Confederation
of 18 April 1999 (as at 7 March 2021)
Preamble
In the name of God Almighty!
The Swiss people and the cantons,
in our responsibility towards creation,
Seeking to renew the Confederation in order to strengthen freedom and democracy, independence and peace, in solidarity and openness towards the world,
in the will to live their diversity in unity in mutual consideration and respect,
aware of our common achievements and our responsibility towards future generations,
We know that only those who use their freedom are free, and that the strength of the people is measured by the well-being of the weak,
adopt the following constitution
…
Federal Constitution
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I become a member of Friends of the Constitution?
To become a member, please follow this link.
Please report change of address to: sekretariat@verfassungsfreunde.ch
Is the address sufficient: Friends of the Constitution, 3000 Bern?
Yes, there is a diversion built in by the post office for these - everything always arrives fine since July 2020, except parcel post.
Please send them directly to our office in Zuchwil near Solothurn: Friends of the Constitution, Gewerbestrasse 2, 4528 Zuchwil
Can I send signed signature sheets by email?
No, please send the original documents by post.
Can Swiss citizens abroad sign?
Swiss citizens living abroad should fill in the form with their address abroad (under “Residential address”), including postcode, place and country of residence. For the completion of the “Canton, postal code and commune” use the details of the last swiss commune you were register in before moving abroad (with the assumption you registered your new address abroad at your commune before leaving the country). Once the form has been filled out correctly and signed, please send it to us by post as we only accept forms with an original signature.
Where can I get legal help?
Lawyers are notoriously overloaded with large lawsuits, are difficult to reach and unfortunately do not work for free. Nevertheless, we recommend the following:
- Dr. iur. Walter M. Haefelin, haefelin@haefelinlaw.ch
- Legal studio, http://www.rechtsatelier.com/
- Hermann Lei, 8500 Frauenfeld, www.frauenfeld-anwalt.ch, 071 622 42 82
- Dr. iur. Silja V. Meyer, 8008 Zurich, www.meyer-recht.ch,
- Patrick Villoz, 5704 Egliswil, www.advokatur-villoz.ch 076 358 06 65
- MLaw,Vanja Stuparanovic, 8834 Schindellegi, 0787258084
- Mlaw, Artur Terekhov, http://www.at-recht-steuern.ch/ (representation before courts primarily in the area of public law)
Before you contact them, we advise you to read through these alternatives:
https://www.corona-werkzeuge.ch/
https://www.verein-legal-help.ch/
https://vereinte-rechtshilfe.ch/
https://www.rechtsberatung-schweiz.com/
https://www.levirusdeslibertes.ch/
https://sos-gesundheitsberufe.ch/
Here are other helpful links with information:
https://t.me/philippkruse
https://t.me/heinzraschein
https://t.me/CR_Juristisches
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTw0EbZd7wZifGBEp5sSJfw
Liability statements/forms:
Where can I get help on medical issues?
Our partner organisation is dedicated to these issues.
https://aletheia-scimed.ch/
Can I be discriminated for not having a certificate/vaccination?
The state must not discriminate.
Private companies that do not have a universal service mandate are allowed to do so. Unfortunately, precedents show that it makes no sense to take legal action against this.
Only the inevitable decline in turnover will make companies rethink.
- If you work in a medical or care profession, please refer to: https://sos-gesundheitsberufe.ch
- If you are discriminated against by the employer: please refer to the legal aid organisations listed above ("Where can i get legal help?").
No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of this information, but merely shows what Fdv was able to find by asking questions. Contact a legally entity for more detailed and legally sound information.
Can employees be dismissed for refusing vaccinations?
https://www.dieostschweiz.ch/artikel/testen-impfen-und-das-recht-des-arbeitnehmers-auf-privatsphaere-dYl9vE3
According to the author of this article, the dismissal is void by law if the employee concerned does not work in a particularly exposed industry such as health care.
If a contract is terminated regardlessly, it is likely to be proven void by law and the employee would be entitled to compensation of up to six months salary (Art. 336a OR).
Update 2 September 2021
In Switzerland, the employer has the right to terminate the employment contract at any time, not only for refusing to vaccinate but also for unwanted private commitments or attitudes, economic reasons, etc.
The RAV has a great deal of freedom when it comes to determining penalty days until financial support is granted. If the contract was terminated due to refusal to vaccinate, it may have an implication.
How can this 'penalty' be avoided? There is no practice on this yet, but the following is useful:
- If arguments with the employer are fruitless, you should have the employer terminate the contract. However, negotiate the reason for dismissal and try to avoid 'because of refusal to vaccinate'.
- After registering with the RAV, wait for the decision. This decision can be challenged under administrative law.
Each case is individual. But if you have any questions please refer to the following link: www.vereinte-rechtshilfe.ch
We received an interesting alternative from a reader:
If you are forced to get vaccinated to keep your job, here is a list of how to get around it. The secret is NOT to refuse vaccination....
A friend who works at the health department is being pressured to get vaccinated: He wrote to his supervisor:
"I am writing to you regarding the matter of the possible Covid vaccination and my desire to be fully informed and know ALL the facts before I am vaccinated. I would be very grateful if you could provide me with the following information in accordance with the law:
- Can you please tell me if the vaccine is legally approved and if it is experimental?
- Can you please provide information and assurance that the vaccine has been fully, independently and rigorously tested on control groups and what the results of these tests were?
- Can you please tell me the full list of ingredients in the vaccine I am to receive and whether any of them are toxic to the body?
- Can you please tell me all the side effects associated with this vaccine since its introduction?
- Can you please confirm that the vaccine you are advocating is NOT an "experimental mRNA gene modification therapy"?
- Can you please confirm that in accordance with the Nuremberg Code, I will not be pressured in any way by you as my employer?
Once I have received the above information and I am sure that there is NO danger to my health, I am happy to accept your offer of treatment, but under certain conditions - namely that:
- I receive confirmation in writing that I will not suffer any harm.
- The vaccine offer must be signed by a fully qualified medical practitioner who accepts full legal and financial responsibility for any harm that may concern me and/or authorised staff in connection with these procedures.
- In the event that I have to decline the offer of vaccination, please confirm that this will not affect my position and that I will not be disadvantaged or discriminated against as a result.
- I also point out that my inalienable rights are reserved.
The point is that you did NOT reject the offer if the employers cannot provide the above requested information.
No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of this information, but merely shows what Fdv was able to find by asking questions. Contact a legally entity for more detailed and legally sound information.
What is a petition?
What is a referendum?
What is a people's initiative?
Why is there no constitutional court in Switzerland?
We do not need a constitutional court because we have direct influence on democracy through referendums and initiatives.
In Switzerland, every federal law has direct democratic legitimacy. Either because the referendum was accepted by the people and the law was adapted, or because the referendum was not taken even though the people could have had the option to do so.
It would therefore be undemocratic if a law, which has cleared the direct democratic hurdles, were to be nullified by a court.
Can we be sure that elections are not rigged?
We believe they are not rigged. The proof is in votes such as those on CO2 and E-ID, which were massively promoted and were the law was not accepted nor adopted. In addition, a team from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has observed the federal elections in each of the last few years.
It may be that individual control points are not adhered to.
If there is evidence, any private person can file a complaint. Every police station accepts a criminal complaint verbally or in writing. You can also inform the public prosecutor's office.
Here you can download the result of our internal analysis on the voting procedure for referendums and initiatives in September 2021 (german):
Election manipulation-PDF
DownloadIs it possible to make the signature sheets printer-friendly?
The file can be printed in black and white by adapting printer settings on your printer.
Why might you not receive an answer to your personal questions and suggestions?
We receive a total of 200-300 mails per day and can only answer so many requests due to capacity reasons. In addition, we are neither medical, legal or political experts. Often, like you, we have to go looking for answers first.
Can I deduct my donation from my taxes?
With proof of non-profit status, donations of more than CHF 100 can be deducted on the tax return.
However, FdV has not been able to register as a non-profit association despite applying for this status in 4 cantons so far. However, we will continue to apply for this status in other cantons over the next few months.
Your donation can therefore NOT be deducted from your tax. Unless you live in a generous canton 😉 .
For donations over Fr. 5'000, FdV need to pay a gift tax in most cantons. If we receive donations in these sums we have to fill in these tax forms in the name of the donor and pay up to 15% of the amount to the donor's canton.
So if you want to make a larger donation: please contact us in advance.
Why does the ballot paper for the 28.11.21 not mention the Covid certificate?
The voting question takes the official title of the bill from Parliament. The heading adopted by Parliament is always decisive in the formulation of a voting question because it enables the bill to be clearly identified. For a precise description of a voting bill, there are the explanatory notes of the Federal Council. In the explanatory notes on the amendments to the Covid 19 Act, the Covid certificate is mentioned in several places and a description of what exactly it includes is given.
Source: https://www.edi.admin.ch/edi/de/home/dokumentation/abstimmungen/covid-19-gesetz.html
Here you will find templates and sample letters on various topics.
FdV accepts no responsibility for the content and recommendations of these links.
Masks and testing in schools
https://www.lehrernetzwerk-schweiz.ch/
https://hot-sips.com/links-weitere-unterlagen/
Serafe, taxes and health insurance
https://hot-sips.com/links-weitere-unterlagen/
Lawsuits, criminal charges, fines
https://wirfuereuch.ch/informationen/