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Kirchner, Thomas
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4 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Thomas Kirchner on how to save the old EU
The former structure of the EU is crumbling and the new European capital will be Berlin, but there are still ways to save the original community, Thomas Kirchner writes in the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung: "If the European treaties were to be changed now, it would basically involve making sure that what Germany and France want actually happens. ... Anyone who's against that must try to revive the old EU. How to further the integration of the Eurozone without splitting up the Union? The only conceivable way would be to strengthen the collaborative element. Jean-Claude Trichet, the former head of the European Central Bank, recently dreamed in his Humboldt address of a sort of two-chamber system with the Council of Ministers as the senate, the EU Parliament as the lower house and the Commission as executive. The former Commissioner Emma Bonino, for her part, wants to give the EU a 'light federalism'. Brussels would receive a larger budget, roughly five percent of the EU's GNP, and several clearly outlined additional competences, for example foreign, defence and immigration policy. That all has not been fully worked out and seems downright utopian after the struggle over the Treaty of Lisbon. But anything is possible with this crisis."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe
New tax on black money in Swiss accounts
Germany and Switzerland reached agreement on Wednesday on the main points of their prolonged tax dispute. The untaxed money held in Swiss bank accounts by Germans trying to avoid taxation will in all likelihood be subject to a capital gains tax of 25 percent, but the account holders will retain their anonymity. Both sides stand to gain from this solution, writes the left-liberal daily the Süddeutsche Zeitung: "Even according to conservative estimates, the tax could secure tens of billions of euros for the federal budget in one go. And then there's the hundreds of millions in capital gains taxes that will flow into Germany each year. That's better than nothing. ... The Swiss banks will have to adjust to the fact that some of their foreign clients will take flight. But there's no need to worry about the future of these institutions. In return they will gain easier access to the German and British financial markets. A bitter dispute has been ended in this way. ... The only losers are the data thieves. No one needs their CDs any more."
» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Tax Policy, » Germany, » Switzerland
Fight against tax evasion like making tea at high altitudes
Liechtenstein will soon cease to be a tax haven for the British. The governments of the two countries have agreed to exchange tax information starting 2015. The left-liberal German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung comments that this is no long-term solution: "Consequently the EU and the Germans have no alternative but to continue as they have done. ... The simplest approach would be automatically exchanging tax information, as the Europeans practice it amongst themselves. Switzerland and others have managed to secure for themselves an exemption from this rule. They tax foreigners' interest yield and transfer a lump sum to the EU states. For [German Finance Minister Peer] Steinbrück this doesn't go far enough. What he wants is data. For that reason he will also oppose the most recent proposal being discussed in Switzerland: a withholding tax meant to encompass all yield on capital and compensate the tax debt in the home country. So Berlin continues to exert pressure, negotiate and wait. It's like making tea at high altitudes: it takes time, but sooner or later the water will boil."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Tax Policy, » United Kingdom, » Europe, » Global, » Liechtenstein
Geert Mak wants more charismatic EU politicians
In an interview with the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on the European elections, Dutch author Geert Mak writes that the EU lacks charismatic politicians: "Europe needs more stories, more faces with whom we can get angry and against whom we can let off some steam. We saw this during the French EU presidency. Even though the Germans got annoyed about President Nicolas Sarkozy, he not only got a few things done but with his theatricals he gave people from Copenhagen to Barcelona the feeling: We know him. We are being represented at a European level. Europe needs charismatic figures. And another thing: Why are there no European candidates; why can't I, as a Dutchman, vote for Daniel Cohn-Bendit who is running for election in France?"
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Elections, » Europe
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