Slowly but surely, calls for a wealth tax to finance the green transition are picking up in Europe, with a number of initiatives from different political movements put the issue (back) on the political agenda.
In a September French parliamentary report, Jean-Paul Mattei of the MoDem group, part of President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling majority, spoke favourably of a such a tax to finance the ecological transition. At the beginning of the summer, Social Democrat MEPs Aurore Lalucq and Paul Magnette submitted a request to the European Commission for a “European citizens’ initiative” on the subject. If it gathers a million signatures in at least seven countries within a year, it could lead to the drafting of a European directive introducing an “ecological and social wealth tax” targeting the 1% richest households. In July, the commission gave the green light to the collection of signatures.
