france’s Top Auditorโ Suggests Wealth Tax as Part of โคbudget Solution
PARIS – โคPierre Moscovici, First President of the Court of auditors, stated Fridayโ that โit is indeed reasonable to ask France’s wealthiest citizens to contribute to โขthe nation’s financialโ recovery, especially as the government aims to reduce โฃthe public deficit to a maximum of 3% of GDP by 2029.
Moscovici,speaking on Public Sรฉnat ahead of his planned โขdeparture from the Court โขof Auditors at the end ofโฃ the year,emphasized that simply โคraising taxes across theโ boardโ is not the answer,noting France already has a highโ tax burden. “Quantitatively, it is rather towards the expenses that must be turned,” he said.
However,he acknowledged a contribution from the wealthiestโ couldโฃ address a growing โsense of inequality and injustice. “Let’s put that I amโค immensely rich: what would it costโ me at the bottom to say to myself: I payโ a little for my country?” Moscovici posed,โข suggesting even a 1 or 2% levy wouldn’t beโฃ substantial for those with significantโ wealth.
His comments come as the Socialistโข party โฃchampions the implementation of a “Zucman tax” – a 2% annualโ tax on โfortunes exceedingโค 100 million โeuros – included in the draftโ 2026 budget. prime Minister Sรฉbastien Lecornu is seeking to โpass the budget without opposition censure.
Moscovici concluded by โstating that “at a time when โall Frenchโ people are asked to get their hands in the pocket, โขall โฃFrench to make an effort, the richest must โคalso contribute.”