Greeks with Swiss Franc Loans Protest Over ‘Debt Slavery’, Athens, Greece – 29 Jan 2025

“EUROPE or GREECE? WILL THE GOVERNMENT ANSWER? WILL THE PARLIAMENT LEGISLATE?”

“LOANS IN SWISS FRANCS ARE A SOCIAL CRIME”

…We, the Greek borrowers, mainly of housing loans with a Swiss franc clause, for everything you have known for over 15 years and have been communicated to you even today, protested and denounced once again with our presence at the gathering-protest, that we are the last country in Europe where the banks have been justified and not the borrowers! WHY?

EU_e_PROTEST OF GREEK BORROWERS WITH A CLAUSE OF SWISS FRANC TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT-PROTEST GATHERING JANUARY 29_2025 (File in English with a publication and photos from a News Agency)

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NOTE TO RECIPIENTS FOR READING: In this email all texts and the resolution are in Greek and translated into English. The text of this document and the text of the resolution and the text of the letter and the translation are in English and in translation. Attached at the end in both languages as a single PDF file for easier use entitled:  EU_list. PROTEST OF GREEK BORROWERS WITH A CLAUSE OF SWISS FRANC TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT-PROTEST GATHERING JANUARY 29_2025 (10 PAGES)

Civil Society-Committee of the Swiss Franc Borrowers’ Initiative “Coordination & Action” Athens 3/2/2025

CONTENTS OF THE LETTER OF CONTRIBUTION-CONTROL

Α. Transcript of the last gathering-protest of Swiss franc borrowers on 29/1/2025

Β. New request for a meeting with President Roberta Metsola and the Swiss Franc Borrowers Initiative Committee.

Γ. Indicative publication of the day with statements and videos of Swiss franc borrowers

29. The 6^th Resolution of the borrowers submitted to the President of the Hellenic Parliament and received Protocol Number :743/29.1.2025

TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Honourable President of the European Parliament, Mrs Roberta Metsola

Mr. EURADISERS

1. AFTIA GEORGIO
2. MEIMARAKIS EVANGELOS
3. BOSEMBERG-BRYONIDI ELISSAVET (ELIZA)
4. BELLERIS-DIONYSIO-FRENTIS
5. MELETI ELEONORA
6. KEFALOGIANNIS EMMANUEL
7. TSIODRA DEMETRIOS
8. ARVANITIS KONSTANTIOS
9. FRANKOURI NICOLAO
10. PAPPA NICOLAO
11. KOUNTOURA ELENA
12. PAPANDREOU NICOLAOS
13. MANIATI IOANNIS
14. ARNAOUTOGLOU ATHANASIOS (SAKI)
15. FRANGOS EMMANUEL (FRANGOULIS)
16. ALEXANDRAKI GALATO
17. NIKOLAOU-ALABANOS-LEVIERE
18. PAPADAKIS KONSTANTIOS
19. ANADEITE NICOLAE
20. ZACHARIAH MARIA
21. LATINOUPOULOU AFRODITI

•  A. ATHENS – European Parliament_Liaison Offices (GSCE) ** ( with the request for safe and  Ares-confirmed forwarding to the EU recipients due to possible classification in spam and notification in our email of  Ares )
•  Β. European Commission in Greece ** ( With the request for secure and  Ares-confirmed forwarding to EU recipients due to possible spam classification and notification to our email of  Ares )

NOTIFICATION WITHIN GREECE:

• OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
• PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
• LEKOSIA – European Parliament – Liaison Offices (GCC)
• OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BANK OF GREECE
• OFFICE OF THE MINISTER OF FINANCE
• PRESS OFFICE OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
• DG I.I.C.H. Ms Alampasi
• CONSUMER ASSOCIATIONS-FORUMS AND COLLECTIVES

NOTIFICATION TO EUROPE:

• European Ombudsman, Brussels, Belgium
• Paula Pinho – Chief Representative of the European Commission
• Arianna Podesta – Deputy General Representative of the European Commission
• Stefan de Keersmaecker – Deputy General Representative of the European Commission
• Maciej Berestecki – Press Spokesman
• Anwar El Anouni – Press Spokesman
• Olof Gill – EU/UK Relations Spokesperson
• Eva Hrntsirova – Press Spokesperson

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Dear Madam President

Ladies and Gentlemen of the European Parliament

Α. Transcript of the last gathering-protest of Swiss franc borrowers on 29/1/2025

“Swiss Loans Are a Social Crime”

Without a single bullet being fired in the “war of extreme obscenity and usury” of the Greek banks and funds against us, you let by your silence and inaction, 70.000 thousands of families, with over 200.000 thousands of citizens, be systematically dissolved! WHY?

You wonder in the EU, but it is allowed to create extremes in our society, which are not caused by the citizens, but by your policies. WHY?

We are sharing with you our 6th Resolution read at the Gathering of Wednesday 29 January 2025, organized as “Civil Society”, by the Swiss Franc Borrowers’ Initiative Committee “Coordination & Action”, in front of the Ministry of Finance at 12 noon and submitted to the President of the Hellenic Parliament.

“Europe or Greece?  Will the Government answer? Will the Parliament legislate?”

We, the Greek borrowers, mainly borrowers of mortgage loans with a Swiss franc clause, for everything you have known for over 15 years and have been notified to you even today, we protested and denounced once again with our presence at the meeting-protest, that we are the last country in Europe, where the banks were vindicated and not the borrowers! WHY?

In our 6th resolution we conclude: PAY FOR WHAT WE HAVE RECEIVED. We insist that we be heard and that we are finally vindicated as Greek citizens and not remain punished, dismantled,  targeted, second-class citizens and the only unjustified European citizens – within the United Europe!

“Democracy does not take revenge and has no dead ends. Justice has no borders, but the predatory obscenity and the non-justification of Swiss franc borrowers has only Greek borders.” WHY?

The European Commission is again being asked on our side as well:

1. Will Greek banks be audited for illegal practices and speculation, as well as for violation of European law?
2. Will it demand the annulment of these illegal contracts in Greece, ensuring that borrowers pay only the principal, as the CJEU has ruled and as has happened in all countries except Greece?
3. Will it impose an immediate suspension of any auction of properties linked to such loans?
4. Will it exert the appropriate pressure for a fair solution on the Greek Government, following its statements through the Minister of Finance: that there will be a regulation of the loans in Swiss francs and that practices applied by other European countries will be followed?

Β. New request for a meeting with President Roberta Metsola and the Swiss Franc Borrowers Initiative Committee.

Mrs Roberta Metsola,

expecting an immediate response, we submit again our request for an immediate meeting with you, through the European Commission Office in Greece.

The Athens Liaison Offices (GCC) will assist in this and in mediating the actions required, as the members of the Committee speak only Greek.

Γ. Indicative publication of the day with statements and videos of Swiss franc borrowers

See the publication with video (link) **  Swiss Franc: Desperate borrowers call for an immediate political solution

The text below, is from the Orange Press Agency report in the above article with actual borrowers on 1/29/2025:

The issue of the Swiss franc borrowers is “flaring up” again, as they held a meeting at the Ministry of Finance and marched to the Parliament, asking for a fair, political solution to be found immediately.

Across the House of Representatives, shocking stories were heard about the debts owed to date by borrowers who, although they have been repaying their loans for many years, see their debts stagnate or even increase.

“I took a 120,000 loan for my daughter in 2007 and today I owe 101,000!”

“I took a 120,000 Swiss franc mortgage for my daughter in 2007, I pay an instalment of 700 euros a month and I owe 101,000 to date,” said an elderly man. “We are calling for a legislative solution as has been done in all EU countries. What was done for all countries should not be done here in Greece. To give a political solution. No borrower knew and could not understand that the borrowed capital was quicksand,” the borrowers added.

Another citizen claimed to have taken “a loan of 92,000 euros in Swiss francs in 2006. As a result, today I have been paying for 15 years and still owe 75,000”, while another woman noted:

“My loan was 350,000 euros. I gave up to a point where I could, because then I missed the payment, 120,000 euros. Right now I owe 1 million euros and they want to bid for 300,000 euros”

What is happening with the Swiss franc

Swiss franc borrowers – estimated in the tens of thousands in Greece – claim that due to the exchange rate change they have seen their debts increase by up to 70% and stress that while the issue has been resolved in most European countries, in Greece they remain unprotected.

“We must pay for what we have taken, not to lose what we have given, to stop the legalized obscenity of the banks at our expense” says the Swiss Franc Borrowers’ Initiative “Sympirosis & Action”.

PASOK MP Milena Apostolaki was also present at the mobilization, who in a topical question to Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis a few days ago called on the government to provide an immediate solution to the problem of borrowers in Swiss francs, noting that (the government) has left them unprotected. The meeting was also attended by SYRIZA Heraklion MP Haris Mamoulaki and former deputy finance minister and party’s economic policy section leader Tryphon Alexiadis.

Question to the Commission on loans in Swiss francs

In their statement they point out that “the first estimates of the solutions that the banks will propose to the Ministry of Finance are worrying” and add that “we should not be complacent for a minute until the government decides on the solution or solutions. Because after that there is little room for changes or improvements , since all indications are that there is no legislation or debate in Parliament”.

The case was raised again in the EU with a question posed yesterday, January 28, by the MEP of the Eleftherias Group, Maria Zacharias, to the European Commission about the huge problem faced by Swiss franc borrowers in Greece.

The question reads:

“In Greece, around 70,000 borrowers in a Swiss dam remain unprotected, despite the transposition of Directive 2014/17/EU through Law 4438/2016. Greek banks continue to apply abusive terms, transferring the exchange rate risk entirely to the borrowers, while auctions of first homes have already taken place and continue.

In case C-186/16, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that banks must provide transparent risk information. In case C-520/21, the CJEU ruled that in contracts with unfair terms, borrowers only have to repay the principal of the loan. In countries such as Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia, borrowers have been vindicated through legislative interventions or court decisions, while banks have been obliged to comply.

In contrast, in Greece, long-standing governments have failed to implement a workable protection framework, leaving citizens exposed and alone against unmanageable banks and funds.

The European Commission is asked:

1. Will Greek banks be audited for illegal practices and speculation, as well as for violation of European law?
2. Will it demand the annulment of these illegal contracts in Greece ensuring that borrowers will only pay the principal, as the CJEU has proven and as happened in the above countries?
3. Will it impose an immediate suspension of all auctions of properties linked to such loans?”

SOURCE: Orange Press Agency _ Uploaded on 29 Jan 2025 at 4:29 pm

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With price

Civil Society-Committee of the Swiss Franc Borrowers’ Initiative “Coordination & Action” Email: esddaniachf@gmail.com

(For procedural issues and communication in GREEK: Nikos Grizanis 6977210811 – Yannis Fassoulas 6974720445)

Commission: https://www.facebook.com/EpitropiProtovouliasCHF/

Nationally accessible Initiative WEBSITE: https://drasi-daneia-elvetiko.gr/

TEAM-ANNOUNCEMENTS-MATERIALS-COMMUNICATIONS-KEYWORD: https://www.facebook.com/groups/daneiachf.drasi

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29. The 6th Resolution of the borrowers submitted to the President of the Hellenic Parliament and received Protocol Number :743/29.1.2025

6th Swiss Franc Borrowers’ Pledge

” EUROPE or GREECE?  WILL THE GOVERNMENT ANSWER? WILL PARLIAMENT MAKE LAWS?”

“LOANS TO SWISS ARE A SOCIAL CRIME”

To the President of the Parliament Mr Nikitas Kaklamanis

Honourable Mr President,

We are contacting the Hellenic Parliament, for the sixth time again on the issue of Swiss franc-clause loans – mainly mortgages and in relation to our five previous resolutions.

The problem of Swiss franc borrowers is well known to you. More than 70 thousand initial contracts and over 200,000 Greek citizens, mainly family members but also members of the wider family environment, have been experiencing for over 15 years a nightmare – a criminal and predatory reality, from the “euphemistic” loans in Swiss francs!

We applied for a mortgage loan and, without being adequately informed and as they should have been, we found ourselves with an investment product. The principal doubled because of the exchange rate, with the result that many have lost their homes, others are in the process of losing them and others are servicing them with terrible difficulty.

Mr. President .

Throughout Europe, justice and equality have no borders, but for borrowers with a Swiss franc clause, they have borders, and only borders, Greek borders.

We have fought and are fighting many battles to get justice.

One of them was the court battle that took us many years and put us to sleep. Unfortunately, however, the Greek justice system did not stand up to the circumstances. The judges, using legalistic alibis, vindicated the IMMIGRANTS. They vindicated the bankers, unlike all of Europe, who vindicated the borrowers.

Someone should tell the judges that they have got the concept of “public interest” very wrong. It is not “Public Interest” to economically impoverish large social groups – such as Swiss borrowers – in order for the Banks and the FUNDS to prosper.

It is not in the public interest when tens of thousands of families continue to be at risk of losing their homes so that the banks can reap excess profits, and do so inexpensively and defiantly. And in our case it is not just excess profits, it is outright THEFT. We must also tell all those who shamelessly invoke judicial expediency rulings, that no social problem can be swept under the carpet with a JUDICIAL DECISION.

That is why we are here today, outside the Greek Parliament, outside the temple of Democracy as it is usually called. Democracy does not take revenge and has no dead ends. This is not the first time and certainly not the last. We will be here , we will be everywhere until we get out of the cruel and inhuman memorandum imposed on us by the banks , the judges and political timidity . Memoranda are not over for all Greeks. Swiss borrowers continue to live under the most cruel and inhumane memorandum, under the usurious practices of the entire banking system, with the tolerance and silence of the State.  But we are not here to beg, nor to evoke sympathy.

We have come again to demand, clear for all of us, a POLITICAL -UNITATIVE – SOLUTION!!!

Mr. President

The Minister’s intentions are not enough to stop what is happening incessantly and urgently , now on our loans. They all forget and remain silent on the crime that is being committed. Fortunes are being lost, families are being destroyed , there are suicides, illnesses because of the Swiss franc – the ferocious capital balance – with amounts double and triple that we never received and they continue to demand in every way to collect it. Even today, they are still using our loans and claiming that it will have an impact on other borrowers.

Today, theft and fraud against borrowers continues more violently. What institution and policy stopped them or asked them to stop?

NO ONE!, NO ONE!, NO ONE!!!

They all hide behind the decisions of the Supreme Court and plunder families.

We demand together “a solution for all borrowers and not a solution, again, for the bankers!”

Not to dare to trample on the legitimate interest of every borrower, whatever the situation of his or her loan. Since, the government and the Minister “want some time”, we demand and until the announced discussions with banks, any consultations with institutions and parties are completed and until the legislation is passed, we have asked the Minister responsible, Mr. Hatzidakis, not only for a solution to our acute problem, but also to accept and immediately put into practice what we have already asked, so that no more homes are lost and families are destroyed in whatever state their loan is in and concerns all borrowers, such as:

• Issue a ministerial decision which immediately suspends, against the borrowers-guarantors-guarantors-triple guarantors and heirs, all legal actions such as payment orders, auctions and other enforcement measures. (as was the case in many similar cases)
• The cessation of any transfer of loans from banks to funds.
• No continuation by the banks of the letters proposing the conversion of the loans from Swiss to Euro, with forced acceptance of the entire loan balance and cessation of any action that would change the contract of their loan.

To pay for what we borrowed. A fair solution, as in all of Europe. We are the last country in Europe, with no justice for the borrowers, but for the banks.

A solution for all borrowers and not a solution, again, for the bankers!

Honorable Mr. President ,

We contacted the Greek Parliament with five resolutions until 2024 and the sixth one today, after your widely accepted nomination as the new Speaker of the Parliament and we hope this time “TO BE A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY – as you stated – to really LISTEN!”

The timing seems to be a milestone – it remains to be proven by the Government’s actions!

-TO PAY FOR WHAT WE HAVE RECEIVED -NOT TO LOSE WHAT WE HAVE GIVEN

-STOP THE LEGALIZED OBSCENITY OF THE BANKS TO THE DETRIMENT OF ALL.

Because in “democracy there are no dead ends”, as politicians often refer to, but also because the extremes in society are created by politicians and not by citizens, and pointing out that you too should take an institutional initiative of strong consensus in Parliament, not allowing even more extremes to be created in the social fabric of our country, we ask you:

To assist, by strongly encouraging Mr.C.O. Leaders, MPs and the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, in finding a definitive SOLUTION and to forward back to them, OUR five previous RESOLUTIONS, containing all our actions, with one and only one main objective:

• THE IMMEDIATE EQUITABLE SOLUTION-LEGISLATION, NOW.
• A solution for all borrowers and not a solution, again, for the bankers!      

Mr. President,

With our  6^th VOTE, 

we submit to you at the same time officially and for the first time, request an immediate meeting with you,

“after the 300 or more questions that have been asked in Parliament about our loans” and as you stated “you have not received an answer to date either”. We demand the meeting to demonstrate as defrauded borrowers the political necessity of an immediate broad and just solution. TO PAY FOR WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TAKEN and to finally be heard as Greek citizens and not to remain punished, dissolved, targeted second class citizens, and as the only unjust European citizens – within the United Europe!

• Legislative intervention to regulate these loans is now purely a matter of political will !

Yours sincerely

ELBETIC FRAGO LOANERS’ INITIATIVE COMMITTEE “Co-Spiracy & Action”       

Grizanis Nikos / Dratsoumi Evangelia / Rozaki Katerina / Roumeliotis Giannis / Roumeliotis Giannis / Fassoulas Giannis / Telidis Nikos / Purikas Christos

(For procedural matters in GREEK: Nikos Grizanis 6977210811 – Yannis Fassoulas 6974720445) Email : esddaniachf@gmail.com

UPDATED:

VOTES OF OUR INITIATIVE: The first with no.: 5868/8-10-2022, the second with no.: 6962/19-11-2022, the third with no.: 1258/11-3-2023, the fourth 1575/30.3.2024, the fifth 6886/10.12.2024 and the signatures submitted to you and all the borrowers who participated TODAY 29 January 2025 in the protest meeting in front of the Ministry of Finance.

NOTE: After being first received by the Special Office of the Parliament, the Commission will ensure that the following recipients will be notified, following our letters of protest and memos and BEFORE the last European elections on 16/2/2024 and after the new composition of the European Parliament on 1/12/2024 and thereafter, of our letters of protest and complaints.

TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Honourable President of the European Parliament, Mrs Roberta Metsola

Mr. EURADISERs

1. AFTIA GEORGE
2. MEIMARAKIS EVANGELOS
3. BOSEMBERG-BRYONIDI ELISSAVET (ELIZA)
4. BELERI DIONYSIO-FRENTIS
5. MELETI ELEANOR
6. CEPHALOGIANNIS EMMANUEL
7. CSIODRA DEMETRIUS
8. ARVANITIS KONSTANTINOS
9. FRANKOURI NICOLAO
10. PAPPA NIKOLAO
11. KOUNTOURA ELENA
12. PAPANDREU NICOLAE
13. MANIATIS IOANNI
14. ARNAOUTOGLOU ATHANASIOS (SAKI)
15. FRANGOS EMMANUEL (FRANGOULIS)
16. ALEXANDRAKI GALATO
17. NIKOLAOU-ALANVANO WHITE
18. PAPADAKIS KONSTANTIOS
19. ANADOLI NICHOLAS
20. ZACHARIA MARIA
21. LATINOUPOULOU AFRODITI

NOTIFICATION: 

–               OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC

–               PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE

–               ATHENS – European Parliament_Liaison Offices (GSCE)

–               European Commission in Greece

–               LEKOSIA – European Parliament – Liaison Offices (GCC)

–               European Ombudsman, Brussels, Belgium

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ELBETIC FRAGO LOANERS’ INITIATIVE COMMITTEE “Co-Spiracy & Action”            

Grizanis Nikos / Dratsoumi Evangelia / Rozaki Katerina / Roumeliotis Giannis / Roumeliotis Giannis / Fassoulas Giannis / Telidis Nikos / Purikas Christos

(For procedural matters in GREEK: Nikos Grizanis 6977210811 – Yannis Fassoulas 6974720445) Email : esddaniachf@gmail.com

Finally, and the NOTE ON THE PHOTOGRAPHY DOWN – DESCRIPTION OF THE CONDITION IN THE PANOS:

“POLITICAL SOLUTION NOW FOR PREDATORY MORTGAGES IN SWISS FRANCS”