Over the years I have sometimes been taken aback by foreigners (ex-pats) and our behaviour here, thinking to myself, "Would they behave like that at home?"

I recently heard of an ex British man (Since many years a naturalised Swiss) who has a big argument with an English speaking club in Switzerland. No real names, as there are on-going legal issues!

Before the last Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club, the man "Fred" put his name forward for election as an officer of the club, and sent an e-mail to all the members introducing himself. He then failed to attend the AGM and was not elected to any position.

Fred had a chat with various officers in the club and claimed he should have been elected, but no agreement could be reached. Fred went to a lawyer and obtained an injunction to stop the club from cancelling his membership. He is also suing the club for his legal costs of CHF 9,000 and he is suing one of the officers for defamation of character.

I ask myself, does Fred really expect anyone to elect him now, after making this incredible fuss?
.

Right said Fred on it ... again?

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Not sure if this is related to Switzerland and him now being Swiss (actually I do not think so) but rather that he is one angry and bitter person (to put it midly)

Narcissm can be found in all cultures.

Fred is an idiot, don't be like Fred.

How can you claim you "should" have been elected? I take the membership cancellation is because things got heated up in the initial discussions? Presumably he's been a member of the club for some years and attended meetings/events so why the need to introduce himself? Sounds like he just expected to be elected come what may and when it didn't happen got angry and sued. If he's that much of an idiot, then yes he would probably behave the same at home.

I know his ex-wife, they have been divorced a few years, and she never talks about him. Others have said he was difficult.

To insist on being elected is for me very strange. I think the club should welcome him to an extra ordinary meeting, hold a vote as he wishes, and probably send him on his way with nothing.

Yes, Sbrinz. Although I've never experienced anything like your Fred's tale, I've often been amazed at how some seem to wear the label "ex-pat" as if it were a banner of honour, entitling them to extra-special VIP consideration.


People with such an attitude seem to feel entitled be be helped not just in English but also in accordance with the usual way things were done back home, in any Swiss shop and office.


It is a mystery to me how anyone can be in a country which is not "back home" and expect that things should run the way they used to feel accustomed to "back home". When someone then, on top of that, behaves badly when "here" is not identical with "there"... I find that really odd.


It would, perhaps, still be understandable, somehow for those eccentric folk who recreate their home country in a new place (Sting sang of the Englishman in New York), no matter what. But to then claim a right to Special Treatment, at all, and then to Even More Special Treatment after throwing a tantrum... I don't get it.


I know a Swiss man who emigrated to another country. There, he has worked very hard at learning the local language and trying to understand how that culture works. Great. However, when he now visits Switzerland, he has no end of criticism and complaint because things don't work, here, the way they do in his new (and better!) "home" country. And since they don't, he feels entitled to behave, in Switzerland, however he wishes, frequently upsetting others by being very rude, expressing derision and contempt for all those here who do not behave as he has come to expect in his new "home" country.


I wonder if Fred would behave like that in his home country.
I wonder whether the man I know would dare to behave that way while in his "new" country.
Unfortunately, I think they very well might. I think it is probably a question of general arrogance and a huge sense of entitlement at the expense of others, and those who live that way to start with, seem to be able to use immigration as a special tool with which to glean fuel for what was already in their personality. Sad, really.

People with experience in international business and having worked abroad for years see such persons again and again. They seem to enjoy complaing anywhere and about anything. The funny thing is how they ignore their own shortcomings.


In the case mentioned above a claim by the Club against that person for significant damages is what gets him out. If you just leave the initative to him he will come up with ever new claims and lies trying to Interrupt the normal activities of the club.


I don't think he's thinking seriously to get elected. He just wants to extract some revenge. If you play along the way he wants you can not win.

Please invite Fred to become an EF member

Are you sure his name is Fred, I think he might be Billy no mates, if he had any friends they would have told him he was behaving like a tw@!

It is

If he wasn't swiss, he surely integrated / assimilated well then.

Are you sure this is a nationality question?

I'd say there are idiots everywhere some of which just happen to come here; which isn't enough to have them better their ways.