BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union should harmonize tax practices to counter the sweet deals that countries like Luxembourg have used to attract multinationals and the super-rich, the EU’s executive chief said Wednesday.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker denied allegations that he was part of the problem since he had been prime minister of Luxembourg for most of the past two decades. He left the current Luxembourg government to answer any questions.
Juncker said if EU nations are sometimes “almost diametrically opposed” between high-taxation and low-taxation systems, it “can lead to results that are not in line with ethical and moral standards.”
Germany on Wednesday threw its formidable weight behind Juncker.
Spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz said Germany had “confidence in the Commission that these incidents will be cleared up, and there is no reason not to believe Mr. Juncker can do this job as Commission president. The German government has confidence in Mr. Juncker.”