Céline Lentz: increased regional cooperation and stance on tax reform debate
During a recent press conference, Prime Minister Céline Lentz proposed the creation of a new format of cooperation in southeastern Ardia with the Reunified Socialist Federation of New Derusmia and the Allied States of Ardia. According to Lentz,
"this new format would be aimed at bolstering the three states of the region and in the Ardian forum, and boosting economic growth, in addition to other areas such as transport, energy infrastructure and security, youth employment levels, and cross-border cooperation." In other words, the main objective is to strengthen the strictly regional dimension of cooperation. Further more, Lentz expressed a desire for the three states to agree meeting on an annual basis in the future.
"Our three states are bound by numerous historical and interpersonal ties that have formed in the cultural space of the southeastern Ardian region over centuries. We therefore should join forces in formulating response to certain challenges that lay ahead of our region as well as to various practical aspects of good neighborly cooperation."Also, since the issue was expectedly brought up by the far-left opposition party, Lentz has taken a position on the potential introduction of a wealth tax, explaining that the current coalition programme would not envision the introduction of a wealth or inheritance tax, and that she would therefore not plan on implementing them, emphasising that raising taxes at this point in time would be
"poison for the people and for the economy." This stands in contradiction to the Green cabinet minister for the environment, climate and sustainable development highlighting the importance of opening a dialogue on just and ecological tax reforms. However, the minister of déi Gréng did not want to comment on the possibility of introducing a taxation on direct inheritances, but rather explained that many directions were being considered.