Let’s try to clear up a few clichés and debunk misunderstandings related to Brussels’ institutions
The French property tax
FALSE
François Baroin, former French economy minister in the Fillon government claimed on 20 November that prior to the Macron government’s latest reform “half of those eligible in France didn’t pay property tax”. This is a false claim: just under half of French property owners did not pay the full tax, but more than a quarter paid a special lower rate. Therefore, the proportion not paying at all was less than a quarter.
The EU’s anonymous credit card for refugees?
Neither TRUE nor False
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbàn claimed on 23 November that the European Commission “is giving anonymous credit cards to people we don’t know,” referring to migrants. It was a misleading claim. The accusation against the UNHCR, Mastercard, Soros and the EU, originates from far right websites and is a distortion of quite a normal practice. In collaboration with Mastercard, the UNHCR distributes cash-based aid (a few euros each day) via ATMs to refugees entitled to such assistance. It functions only in their countries of refuge.
EU GDP without the United Kingdom
TRUE
German finance minister Olaf Scholz claimed on 28 November that, “after the United Kingdom has left the EU, 85% of the Union’s economic output will be generated in euros”. This is realistic. In 2017, countries that have the euro produced 85.9% of the EU’s GDP (excluding the UK).
@PagellaPolitica
You will find this article in the eastwest paper magazine at newwstand.
Let’s try to clear up a few clichés and debunk misunderstandings related to Brussels’ institutions
