In Strasbourg, during the European Parliament’s plenary session, a debate was held titled “Taxing the Wealthiest to End Poverty and Reduce Inequality: EU Support for the G20 Presidency’s Proposal.” PiS MEP Marlena Maląg spoke during the discussion.
Marlena Maląg said that the concentration of wealth among an increasingly narrow group is a cause for concern. She noted that, according to Oxfam’s calculations, the wealthiest 1% of the world’s population has accumulated $42 trillion in new wealth over the past decade—34 times more than the poorest 50% of the population. “Most current tax systems are not socially just,” stated the Polish politician. She explained that these systems rely on taxing labor and consumption rather than wealth, which distorts the natural expectation that the wealthier—not the poorer—should bear a greater tax burden proportional to their wealth. “One of the main reasons for weaker investment in the European Union is high taxes and a climate unfavorable to big capital,” countered the PiS MEP. She added that it is no coincidence that, of the world’s 20 largest companies, as many as 16 are American, while only 2 are European. The MEP explained that “the same is true, of course, for the wealthiest, and by attempting to tax their assets more heavily, we will only discourage the investments we so desperately need, and it is doubtful that we will gain anything.”
