European Union ministers from a number of national governments have called for the establishment of new pan-European taxes to fund the bloc’s “green” agenda, as well as the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Germany’s Anna Lührmann, France’s Laurence Boone and Portugal’s Tiago Antunes told Brussels media that such taxes were now necessary to cover the EU’s accruing debts.
“We know that we will have to repay the next-generation EU bonds,” Boone remarked, saying the bloc needs more money to pay for “Ukraine’s reconstruction, and the climate transition and energy interconnection”.
The three ministers are pushing for the establishment of the EU’s “own resources”, which has been described by observers as a mere euphemism for new taxes and levies.
Boone floated the idea of an EU-wide “financial-transaction tax”, something he believes would help build up the bloc’s “own resources” to fund its various pet projects.
Lührmann added that discussions had already started with the European Commission regarding putting such taxes in place, with an inter-country debate on the issue planned “in the [autumn]”.
A lack of tech innovation represents a major strategic flaw for the EU’s proclaimed vision, writes @jrfjeffrey. @scienceisstrat1 https://t.co/e9bmXL3yvw
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 30, 2023
The trio’s tax proposals have not gone down well with some in the European Parliament, including senior German AfD MEP Dr Gunnar Beck who lambasted the idea as being likely to make many of the bloc’s biggest problems even worse.
“The EU’s climate and energy policies together with mass migration are the major source of Germany’s unnaturally steep economic decline,” he told Brussels Signal, criticising Germany for lacking the “mental agility to cut their losses”.
Noting that the suggested new measures do not seem to be covered under EU treaties, he added that “in addition to financing ruinous policies the plans would exacerbate the problems of over-taxation and high indebtedness, which are already crippling” Europe’s economies.
“Europe is likely to become the world’s first de-developing economy by design,” he warned.
Donald Tusk, the leader of Poland’s largest opposition party, has vowed to immediately unblock withheld EU funding for the country if he wins power in October’s general election. https://t.co/mOXrKEqxmv
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 29, 2023
