This is probably due to the events of the last few weeks, which have caused quite a stir not only in Germany. They have also caused a stir in Italy, where I spent a few days before travelling to Zurich. But in a completely different direction. Why are you so upset, I was asked several times. Here in Italy, nobody pays the taxes they should.
This sensation would probably not have been so great if a very prominent manager hadn’t been arrested at seven o’clock on the morning of 14 February on suspicion of tax evasion and taken from his home in front of live cameras. An unprecedented event in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Interestingly, this happened shortly after the failure of politicians to supervise the Landesbanken, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau and IKB had contributed to billions of euros in losses, which of course had to be covered by the taxpayer, and the whole thing dominated the headlines.
