Most candidates for the European elections want the continuation of the unanimity rule, especially in external policy, but the Socialist Party (PS) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) defend that only decisions by the majority will combat evasion and fiscal dumping.
In response to a question posed by Lusa regarding the end of unanimity in terms of fiscal and external policy, only the leading candidate of the Democratic-Republican Party (PDR), Marinho e Pinto, responded affirmatively and without reserve regarding both areas.
Socialist Pedro Marques admitted that the end of unanimity was a way to combat the blocking of measures of combatting fraud and tax avoidance in the European Union.
He also pointed to an “approximation of fiscal bases, impeding big multinationals from promoting fiscal competition between member states.”
The Social Democrats’ leading candidate Paulo Rangel said he refused the alteration of unanimity rule in fiscal affairs, highlighting that the creation of taxes is always a decision of national parliaments but recognised it “deserved thought” in the domain of fiscal competition between member states.
He also said he deemed fiscal dumping carried out by Ireland, Holland, Austria, Malta and Luxembourg, was negative for Portugal.
According to the Communist candidate João Ferreira, unanimity is “fundamental to ensure the genuine process of cooperation and is a vital instrument to defend Portugal’s interests.
Ferreira said Portugal should fight to recover the rule of the decision of unanimity in fundamental areas to safeguard the country’s interests.
The People’s Party (CDS-PP) leading candidate Nuno Melo said only with unanimity could small and medium countries ensure that others did not put its vital interests at stake.
He also accused PS and PSD of creating a “tax machine in Brussels.”
Marisa Matias from the Left Bloc said the end of unanimity principle was questionable from many points of view and especially in a context in which, following the Lisbon Treaty, countries “stopped having the same weight in votes.”
According to PAN’s Francisco Guerreiro, to go ahead in areas like the implementation of several taxes or sectors emitting CO2 and methane, there should be a broad majority when there is not unanimity.
PCTP-MRPP’s Luís Judice said no rule implied a fair decision and defended a “principle of sovereign decision that is only up to the country and its people.”
Livre’s Rui Tavares highlighted defence of the end of tax havens and said the end of unanimity only made sense following the democratisation of institutions.
Aliança’s Paulo Sande said it was not the right time to change the rule because “reinforcing supranational policies will fragile even more European cohesion, giving way to nationalism and Euroscepticism.”
Iniciativa Liberal’s Ricardo Arroja said unanimity should be maintained in fiscal matters and external policy and that Portugal would be one of the countries that would lose out the most if it is not maintained.
Nós Cidadãos, which is running for the European Parliament and led by Paulo Morais, said that with the end of the unanimity rule, richer and stronger countries would “impose their will on the rest.”
The coalition Basta (PPM/PPV/CDC), led by André Ventura, rejects the end of the rule: “Do we want the European Union to deepen cohesion, solidarity and external political affirmation, or to plunge citizens deeper in taxes?” he said.
MAS, led by Vasco Santos, said the end of unanimity would imply a previous definition of aims consensually approved and that without that definition of objectives there was no place for common policies.
Lusa sent a questionnaire to all 17 candidacies to the elections on 26 May in the European Parliament. PNR and PTP did not respond while the PURP said it would not respond in protest to the treatment it is allegedly receiving from the media.
