The MR President was interviewed this Wednesday by Villa Politica. In a country that ranks among the world champions of tax pressure, it has become common to hear calls for "even more taxes on the rich". But behind these easy slogans lies a well-known reality: in the end, it's always the middle class that pays.
Every new tax, supposedly aimed at the wealthiest, ends up hitting the middle and working classes. Why? Because for a tax to actually raise real revenue, it must be applied broadly. Small investors, cautious savers and self-employed workers are then the first to be affected. And when it's not their income directly, it's consumer prices that rise, as businesses pass these tax burdens on to consumers.
Belgium's real problem is not tax revenue. It is the level of spending. The Belgian state has never taken so much out of citizens' pockets. Belgium is one of the countries where taxes and social contributions represent the largest share of GDP. But that is never enough. Rather than reviewing the efficiency of public spending, some propose emptying the pockets of those who invest, work and take entrepreneurial risks.
The Mouvement Réformateur opposes this. We defend a fair, transparent tax system that rewards effort and does not penalise savings. Because it is tomorrow's investors, today's pensioners, and parents saving for their children who would be the real victims of these policies supposedly targeting "the rich".
We defend the middle class that carries the country on its shoulders.