Alliance launches referendum against the Mercosur trade deal

A broad alliance of organisations opposed to the free trade agreement between Switzerland and the Mercosur countries launched a signature drive for a referendum on Tuesday. The initiative was announced in the afternoon at a press conference in Bern, attended by representatives of the camp opposing the agreement.

The initiators oppose the agreement because of its possible consequences for the Amazon rainforest, human rights and agriculture. Their concerns focus in particular on the agricultural supply chains of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, the four member states of Mercosur with which Switzerland, together with the other EFTA states, intends to establish more open trade relations.

Deforestation and forced labour

According to the alliance, large-scale soy cultivation and intensive cattle farming are among the main factors behind deforestation in these South American countries. The expansion of industrial agriculture, the referendum's initiators point out, also has a direct effect on communities that have long lived in these territories, pushing them to leave their land.

Added to this, according to opponents of the agreement, is a problem linked to working conditions: forced labour cases are said to occur repeatedly on the plantations.

To avoid encouraging these practices, the alliance is calling on the Swiss population to reject the text at the ballot box. The agreement has already been signed by all EFTA countries, the European Free Trade Association of which Switzerland is also a member, and approved by the Federal Chambers last September.

The referendum's initiators now have 100 days to collect the necessary signatures to bring the text to a popular vote: 50,000 signatures are needed. If the collection succeeds, the electorate will decide the fate of the agreement with Mercosur.