Europe

French officials abuse visa-free travel to spy on tax dodgers in Switzerland

"The French tax officials reportedly travel to Switzerland with a friend or family member when they are supposed to be officially on holiday. They use private credit cards for all purchases in Switzerland and to avoid being caught by Swiss customs or radars, the officials purportedly use cars with interchangeable number plates or take a train. Once in Switzerland they travel around to make sure Swiss-based companies allegedly belonging to French citizens actually have real offices, employees and clients." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrench officials abuse visa-free travel to spy on tax dodgers in Switzerland

Francois Hollande lurches Right in historic U-Turn to save French economy

"French president François Hollande has bowed to massive pressure for business tax cuts to pull France’s economy out of slump and stave off industrial decline, ditching a core element of his socialist platform. Company taxes will fall by €20bn a year equal to 1pc of GDP, to be phased in gradually by 2015 under a convoluted system of rebates. Spending cuts will plug the revenue gap in order to meet the EU’s 3pc deficit target. Critics call it the most humiliating U-turn in French politics since François Mitterrand abandoned his disastrous experiment of 'Socialism in one country' under a D-Mark currency peg in 1983." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrancois Hollande lurches Right in historic U-Turn to save French economy

Francois Hollande lurches Right in historic U-Turn to save French economy

"French president François Hollande has bowed to massive pressure for business tax cuts to pull France’s economy out of slump and stave off industrial decline, ditching a core element of his socialist platform. Company taxes will fall by €20bn a year equal to 1pc of GDP, to be phased in gradually by 2015 under a convoluted system of rebates. Spending cuts will plug the revenue gap in order to meet the EU’s 3pc deficit target. Critics call it the most humiliating U-turn in French politics since François Mitterrand abandoned his disastrous experiment of 'Socialism in one country' under a D-Mark currency peg in 1983." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrancois Hollande lurches Right in historic U-Turn to save French economy

Greeks clash with riot police as politicans pass austerity measures

"Conservative and socialist lawmakers from Greece's three-party coalition government voted to adopt the €18.5bn budget cuts by 2016 despite protests earlier in the day by more than 70.000 people who massed outside the parliament. Violent protesters threw fire bombs and rocks at police, who responded with stun grenades, tear gas and the first use of water cannon in Greece in years. Inside the building, lawmakers interrupted the debate as Parliament employees went on strike to protest wage cuts. Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos announced that five of his party's deputies who voted against the measures were expelled from the party." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreeks clash with riot police as politicans pass austerity measures

Denmark to scrap world’s first fat tax

"Denmark said Saturday it would scrap a fat tax it introduced a little over a year ago in a world first, saying the measure was costly and failed to change Danes’ eating habits. 'The fat tax and the extension of the chocolate tax — the so-called sugar tax — has been criticised for increasing prices for consumers, increasing companies’ administrative costs and putting Danish jobs at risk,' the Danish tax ministry said in a statement. 'At the same time it is believed that the fat tax has, to a lesser extent, contributed to Danes travelling across the border to make purchases,' it added." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDenmark to scrap world’s first fat tax

Banking with a human face: ‘Bank on Dave’ for people in UK

"Banking malpractice, excessive risk taking and bonuses paid for out of taxpayer bailouts. It's little wonder that people's patience with their banks has run out. But if not the global financial giants, where you entrust your hard-earned cash? RT's Laura Smith meets one British man, who thinks, he's got the answer." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBanking with a human face: ‘Bank on Dave’ for people in UK

Peace group says European Nobel prize is ‘unlawful’

"The Swedish industrialist and philanthropist Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896, said in his testament that the award should go to the 'person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.' The International Peace Bureau noted that the EU 'is not seeking to realise a demilitarisation of international relations', and that its members 'condone security based on military force and have waged wars rather than insisting on the need for alternative approaches.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPeace group says European Nobel prize is ‘unlawful’

The European Central Bank on Bitcoins

"I have finally had a chance to read in full the unsigned report by the European Central Bank that I mentioned earlier this week. The report is quite impressive. The report clearly states the advantages of Bitcoins versus current credit/debit cards. The anonymity feature of Bitcoin is the feature that I believe could be the driving feature behind the potential success of Bitcoin. As world governments attempt to get in the middle of more and more private transactions, more and more buyers and sellers will seek anonymity." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe European Central Bank on Bitcoins

Catalan politicians ask for EU help against Spanish army

"Four Catalan MEPs have asked the European Commission to tell Spain it cannot use military force to stop Catalonia from splitting away. The letter says: 'We are writing to you to convey our deep concern over a series of threats of the use of military force against the Catalan population ... In these circumstances, the EU should intervene preventatively to guarantee that the resolution of the Catalan conflict be resolved in a peaceful, democratic manner.' Spanish MEP Alejo Vidal-Quadras had said: 'They [the government] should be briefing a general of the Civil Guard ... the government should think of intervening in the rebellious region if they persist.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCatalan politicians ask for EU help against Spanish army