Bernard Nicod has lost none of his youthful energy. Here, an archives photo brings out his extraordinary physical and intellectual strenght which he still retains today.

 

 

 

Lausanne, 24th June 2016. The BREXIT has now been accepted and the business world falls into uncertainty. Thanks to the engagement also on the proprety front in Switzerland of our consultant, the courtier Jamil Boukarabila, close colaborator of the President of the Bank of New York (Switzerland) at the beginning of the 2000s, we are lucky to be able to offer internauts the exclusive interview of the man who has dominated the Swiss-French property scene for numerous years.
Bernard Nicod impresses by his dynamism and the enthousiasm with which he has never stopped overcoming difficulties, finally producing the finest projects for property in the Canton de Vaud, at the height of the visionary that never stops being. From his headquarters on the Avenue de la Gare in Lausanne, Bernard Nicod did not hide his disappointment, but also admitted that the English reaction was understandable in certain aspects.

 

 

Jamil Boukarabila : « How do we react to this BREXIT ; you don’t seem very happy…. »

 

« I can easily understand that the English have voted for the BREXIT… »

 

Bernard Nicod : « Firstly, this is a catastrophy ! A real catastrophy !! But let’s try to identify the causes of the catastrophy, like after grave accidents or even wars, there are always causes.
I can easily understand that the English, especially those of a certain age, those who are living in the country side, and neither so young revellers nor members of the golden youth of the town who earn colosal sums without effort or pain in finance, have voted for the BREXIT. Also I can understand those who have fought in the war, worked, known the British Empire, power, say they ‘ve had enough of financing useless civil-servants, grossly overpaid, but especially useless for the most part, and who are among other things specialists in the calculation of the diameter of green peas, especially when it’s about putting them in a can which is controlled by European Union norms. And all this while European farmers can’t earn their living or even commit suicide.
So in some ways, I understand them very well. I understand them also when we know the enormous expenses involved in the travel of European commissars, the magnanimous way they are paid for their daily life. The European Union has suffered for many years now from a terrible disfunctioning because of completely useless people who spend their time laying laws, costly and unproductive regulations.
 

Jamil Boukarabila : « The European Union as its founder members wanted it to be was worth more all the same… »

 

« Adenauer and De Gaulle’s vision has been betrayed… »

 

Bernard Nicod : « In fact we have betrayed the great idea at the base of the premises of the European Union, that of Adenauer and De Gaulle. Finally we have distorted their vision of Europe ! Today instead of this noble idea, we have thousands of civil servants, members of parliament, and especially completely useless civil servants. And I can understand -unless we revolt- or at least we refuse this regime of civil servants who lay down laws and useless regulations which cost so much.
To all this must be added that there is a lack of valid leadership in this European Union and this is especially flagrant in certain countries like France for example. François Hollande- I don’t hide the lack of estime I hold for him !- This lack of cohesion which finally comes from an absence of valid leadership, even a well shared leadership between the heads of state, as in the time of Adenauer and De Gaulle that I have just mentioned, but also as it was at the time of Valery Giscard D’Estaing and Helmut Schmidt, or more recently at the time of François Mitterand and Helmut Kohl, well then, this lack of cohesion runs the risk of a domino effect of the BREXIT on the European Union.
Look at what is already happening in Northern Ireland : They have only one desire since this morning, which is to unstabilize the BREXIT in any way they can.
We can imagine that the bill will be frightening for the English. This political bill, or even this political break, is extremely serious for the West and for Europe. « Our Europe » even if we the Swiss are not part of it.

Jamil Boukarabila : « Is it really a problem for Switzerland ? »

Bernard Nicod : « Yes, of course. As far as the bilateral agreements are concerned we cannot go so easily to Brussels to negociate them, because now the European Union has many other things to do for the next few years than to be concerned with Switzerland ! The BREXIT is therefore a serious problem for Switzerland.
I remind you that the « bilaterals » were to be renegociated very soon. However now what will we be able to do ? Not very soon probably. For it is necessary at the same time to apply the initiative against mass immigration and save the bilateral agreements in a complex political procedure. So it is an unreasonable tidal wave. »
 

Jamil Boukarabila : « Isn’t mass immigration the end of the fuse which ignites the powder ? »

 

« Situations like Calais, it’s really time they stopped ! »

 

 

Bernard Nicod : « I can also understand that the English who want to live in the towns cannot pay the prices so much have they gone up. If the prices have climbed, it’s because of the arrival of foreigners lured by the financial sector. Imagine that there are 300,000 French living in London. These foreigners in London do not live under the bridges, believe me. On the contrary they have mobilised numbers of flats which in the past were occupied by English people. So the English can no longer find correct lodging following the arrival of all these rich foreigners who take up a lot of space and of whom certain are very dangerous because they come from dangerous coutries ! »

Jamil Boukarabila : « Yes, we see it, the security argument has probably also played a role in the success of the BREXIT. The large movements of population which we have been subjected to in recent months, and the way the European Union has reacted, all this has had an impact on the English when they voted. »

Bernard Nicod : « I can understant that half the world wants to go to England, but logic says we must call a halt there.
The scandalous situations that we saw in Calais and which have lasted too long, as much for the French as for the English and especially for the refugees themselves besides !! this must be stopped. It is a pure European political problem. If the European Union is not able to agree on this, what will they agree on ? »

 

« The major risk : The Germans will have had enough one day !! »

 

Jamil Boukarabila : «It’s another problem of leadership, isn’t it ? Besides we must wonder if after the infructuous attempts of people like Julius Caesar and Napoleon to impose a certain cohesion on all the peoples of Europe, people of such different mentalities, can we think that today a European political leader would have the quality and the means ? »

Bernard Nicod : « Oh… you know Mrs. Merkel does not lack quality and she has already proved it !
I see a major risk in the fact that the Germans may have had enough one day. That they will be sick of the cost of Europe for their economy. And that is the dam which gives way for ever.

Jamil Boukarabila : On the subject of the English and the Swiss… They have left our country in recent years. They are no longer the customers they were in the 70s and 80s in Switzerland. »

Bernard Nicod : « Yes, they come much less now. They are more and more who come to ski in the winter resorts ; but on the other hand we see less and less buying flats or investing in Switzerland.
You know, the English are going to suffer from their decision all the same. Because I think that rightly or wrongly the European Union is not going to close the door to them, but it will give them a hard life.

Jamil Boukarabila : « Unless perhaps things happen quickly in Europe and there are suddenly two or three other countries who also leave the union…. As for the pound sterling it could very well become strong. »

Bernard Nicod : « The omelette is already overturned. It would be a wise man who could answer that ! It is much too complicated to make conjectures from today, just a few hours after the BREXIT vote.
Thank you and I wish a nice day to you and to your internauts. »

Jamil Boukarabila : « And thank you Mr. Bernard Nicod. »