Editorial: Enemies

The report released by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) and published today in Ta Nea confirms precisely what the government conceded after being trounced in the 26 May European Parliament election.

It

confirms that the middle class was the victim of unprecedented over-taxation the aims of which were economic but the motives for which were political.

It was not economic necessity that led to this choice.

It was a conscious political decision based on ideology and partisan motives.

The outgoing government treated the middle class as an enemy.

It discovered a class enemy in large swathes of society that had already paid a very high price during the crisis.

What was the result of this policy? The government took much from the many to distribute little to the few.

It essentially engaged in a redistribution of poverty without substantially benefiting anyone.

It placed further burdens on the many in order to relieve the very few of very small burdens.

This reality is reflected in the data released by SEV, which demonstrates that the state takes 40 percent in taxes and insurances contributions from the income of taxpayers who declare 20,000 euros in earnings annually.

For incomes of 40,000 euros that rose to 60 percent.

The impact of this policy on households and the economy more generally is perfectly clear.