FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Italy offers new residents a flat tax of 200,000 euros per year on any income...
The truce between Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron has lasted a while. The warmth of the bilateral meeting in June, with handshakes and formal smiles, has quickly faded. Tensions between Rome and Paris erupted again yesterday, crossing all expected limits.
The spark was ignited by statements by French Prime Minister François Bayrou. Bayrou described Italy as an example of a country that practices “fiscal dumping.” He accused Italy of unfair competition, which risks emptying France of its richest taxpayers. A direct and unexpected attack, which comes at a time when the French government is facing its internal weaknesses. On September 8, a decisive vote of confidence for the survival of the majority is expected. In this climate of uncertainty, Bayrou chose to open a new external front.
The response from Palazzo Chigi came within the hour. A short statement, somewhat measured, but which only tells part of the truth. “The statements are surprising and completely unfounded,” it says. Government sources reveal that Meloni is “furious,” as are several ministers and deputy ministers. She would have liked to respond in an even harsher tone, but chose not to overdo it in order to avoid escalating the conflict over the Quirinale Treaty and not to give Paris, in difficulty, new polemical pretexts.
Italy is not a tax haven
The Italian response is clear: Italy is not a land of tax havens . “Our economy is attractive thanks to its stability and reliability. We do not pursue preferential policies. With this government, the fixed fee for those who move residence to Italy has doubled compared to 2016, ” the statement says. Then comes the blow: Rome invites Paris to join the fight against real tax havens within the EU, which have been stealing billions from other countries for years.
Italy offers new residents a flat tax of 200,000 euros per year on any income. Meanwhile, professionals who have lived abroad for at least two years are only taxed on 50 percent of their income.
“The Italian economy is attractive and is performing better than others thanks to the stability and credibility of our country ,” Meloni said. Italy’s deficit fell from 7.2% in 2023 to 3.3% this year. The IMF forecasts growth of 0.5% this year for Italy, after 0.6% for France and 2.5% for Spain.
Meloni also accused other European countries of being tax havens and causing great economic damage to Italy.
France has one of the largest budget deficits in Europe, expected to reach 5.4 percent of GDP this year. Bayrou's decision to call the vote has roiled markets and raised borrowing costs in France, as investors anticipate another period of political instability.
The dispute comes as the gap between Italy and France's long-term borrowing costs narrows for the first time since the global financial crisis. It follows another clash last month between French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini over sending European troops to Ukraine.
If Bayrou falls, Macron will be left searching for a fifth prime minister of his second term. Last year, the president called and lost snap legislative elections, resulting in a divided parliament with no clear majority, increasing political instability at a time when France must make tough decisions about its growing debt./ Pamphlet
Lini një Përgjigje