Thoughts on the Manifesto for Democratization of Europe in the Light of Fiscal Powers

Abstract

Today we are witnessing almost the widest gap between the richest and the poorest. Besides the economic aspect of inequality, democracy deficit, acceleration of global warming, urgent needs to adopt sustainable development can be considered as main problems of today’s world. Current national and international models are being insufficient to address these problems. Taxation one of the is the main mechanisms to struggle these problems. However, European Union does not have a strong mechanism to adopt tax measures. European Union institutions lack the democratic legitimacy that would be needed to have tax-raising powers. Considering that challenge The Manifesto for the Democratization of Europe constitutes an essential effort to tackle these problems with its concrete suggestions. Suggestions in the Manifesto are easily filling the gaps in the existing system in Europe. The system envisaged in the Manifesto is focusing on the European Assembly especially with its tax-raising and expenditure power. The mechanism is also novel, in the sense that it leaves the traditional way of budgeting. In this article, the authors aim is to identify and evaluate the suggested model of the Manifesto and the Treaty on the Democratization of Europe.

Keywords

• the manifesto for democratization of europe
• democracy
• budget right
• tax competition
• ability to pay
• carbon tax