Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-09-14-Speech-3-026-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20110914.3.3-026-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, President Barroso, I would like to ask you a question. If it is no trouble to you, would you mind listening to it?
I am not going to make a long speech. My question is a specific one: do you know how much Greek money – according to the Greek Government itself – is deposited in Switzerland and escaping Greek taxation? EUR 200 billion, which is the equivalent of Greece’s annual GDP and of two-thirds of Greece’s debt.
I am still waiting for your initiative to impose taxation on this money which has escaped the Greek tax system. I am also waiting for a strong initiative on this matter from Greece’s socialist government. It would have no macroeconomic impact on Greece, since this money has already gone elsewhere, but this policy would be completely legitimate from a social point of view. However, in order to take this initiative, the Greek Government needs the EU.
You will argue that this is complicated, but there is a very simple example: the United States, which is fighting a daily battle to have Swiss banking secrecy lifted for its own citizens and which is winning that battle. Meanwhile, we are either doing nothing, or doing things in an utterly disorganised and counterproductive manner, as the UK and Germany have just done by signing an agreement with Switzerland limiting the EU’s scope for action.
It is up to you to take an initiative: EUR 200 billion is a very large sum. We cannot ask European taxpayers to show solidarity if rich Greek citizens do not show any either."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples