The meeting is scheduled for 16.30 clock, the agenda of the President noted a “meeting with the representatives and agents of French football.” No routine ceremony for successful athletes, no medals awarded for deserving kicker, but a meeting of major political head, in which the full commitment of President François Hollande is required: it is about the profits of the football stars, their million revenue from television broadcasts or advertising contracts – and whose taxation.
The head of state is allowed to make because no foul: During the election campaign the Socialists had not only proclaimed a fight against finance capital, meaning more tax fairness he also announced a tax rate of 75 per cent for income beyond one million euros. It not only alienated industrialists, bankers and film actor – the rich tax also applies to sports celebrities.
The football clubs responded to the impending state access with a strike threat: If it remains in control of the rich, it should be no point in late November games in the top two leagues. Solidarity with the taxpayers of the lower and middle income groups? No topic for kicking Euro-elite.
The threats of footballers could be successful. Because Hollande has a historically bad popularity value with currently 26 percent. In the cabinet, there is ongoing dispute between ruling party and green coalition partners, there is a crash, the citizens react to the crisis with anger, rejection and rebellion: Species threatened with job loss workers occupy factories take their bosses hostage or threatening to blow up their machines into the air. The government responded each time with a hasty change of course and retreat.
About the Fifth Republic is a breath of revolt: In Brittany, farmers and truck drivers went on the warpath against the eco-tax, on the head, the red Phrygian cap of the Jacobins. After street battles with the police, the law was tilted. Previously, the entrepreneurs had demonstrated against a tax increase on their profits – with success. And higher deductions for life insurance and savings contracts were withdrawn after protests from the population.
François Hollande has proven to be weak and listless
Although France is not a revolution before, and the frustration of 2013 has of course little in common with the historic overthrow of 1789. But the recession, stoking fears of loss of purchasing power and unemployment. A “fiscal vampirism” writes the magazine “L’Express”, and some French respond with deliberate tax fraud and the battle cry. “Fed up” Already is forming a faction of “Tondus” (shaven) – have reportedly since July this year 320,000 companies ceased to pay its employer contributions for social security and pensions.
Hollande has in this situation as wrongly advised. In fact, the President’s constitutional power, although the most powerful man in the state. The Socialist has a majority in the National Assembly and Senate, also has the backing of almost all regions, cities, and many municipalities.
But instead act as energetic leaders of the nation, as a visionary of a left reshuffle, he proves to be weak and listless. Only eight percent of the French keep their president for courageous, determined the daily newspaper “Le Parisien”, “shipwreck” headlined the magazine “Le Figaro” to the image of a depressed-looking Hollande.
The head of state has almost completely lost his authority after 17 months of his five-year term. For the final decline of the prestige of his behavior caused during the removal of a Roma student. Only outraged the inept police access the left wing of the Socialists and drove thousands of students to protest against Interior Minister Manuel Valls on the streets. Then Hollande tried the “affair Leonarda” by television address to arbitrate – and contrived all involved to antagonize.
This could happen even when Hollande dispute over tax the rich if he backs down now and the kickers grants privileges. However, the president is adamant that the strike would outrage the millions of football fans. An own goal – either way.
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