ICRICT, in partnership with the EU Tax Observatory, Oxfam and IRIS is pleased to invite you to a public conference: "Changing the tax system to save democracy and fight austerity" on March 14, 2023 from 18:30 to 20:00.
The debate will take place at IRIS - (2 rue Mercœur 75011, Paris). It will be simultaneously translated into French and English.
Everywhere, grassroots citizens are confronted with the deterioration of their standard of living, but also with the deterioration of the level of public services - health, education, care facilities for the elderly, and security - due to the multiplication of austerity plans.
While people are asked to make efforts, the scale of wealth being accumulated by those at the top has accelerated. Since 2020, the richest 1% have captured almost two thirds of all new wealth, six times more than the bottom 90% of humanity. While the pandemic and war have brought war and suffering to the world, they have allowed multinationals in several sectors (including energy, food, pharmaceuticals, and finance) to make record super profits.
This is fuelling frustration and anger at governments, which is undermining democracy. Everywhere, parties that question individual and public freedoms in favor of the hierarchization of citizens and xenophobia are gaining ground in the ballot box.
To break this vicious circle, we must give back to the States the means to finance public services capable of meeting the needs of all, and first of all of the most vulnerable, to leave less room for this anti-democratic discontent. It is also urgent that we give states the means to build the infrastructure that allows our societies to face the existential challenge of climate change.
This is the time to discuss all the alternatives, from taxing windfall profits to taxing the wealth of the richest in our society, that would help States to recover more fiscal resources.
Join us for a panel discussion during this public conference, which will be simultaneously translated into French and English, followed by a cocktail and broadcasted live.
- Joseph Stiglitz, Professor of Economics at Columbia University, ICRICT co-chair
- Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, ICRICT co-chair
- Gabriel Zucman, Director of the EU Tax Observatory, and ICRICT commissioner
- Cécile Duflot, Oxfam France Executive Director
With the participation (in Paris) of:
Joseph Stiglitz, Professor of Economics at Columbia University, ICRICT co-chair
Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, ICRICT co-chair
Gabriel Zucman, Director of the EU Tax Observatory, and ICRICT commissioner
Cécile Duflot, Oxfam France Executive Director, will moderate the debate.
Please watch the videos: