Institutional changes contained in the EU constitution could increase pressure for EU tax harmonisation, harming all of Europe, Slovak finance minister Ivan Miklos has indicated.
Slovakia is one of 14 countries that have ratified the EU charter, with the centre-right government led by Mikulas Dzurinda supporting it throughout the ratification process.
But Mr Miklos said on Thursday (3 March) he had changed his mind on the constitution, mainly due to the pressure that the constitution could create towards European tax harmonisation.
“I think that should the institutional changes increase the risk of taking such steps [as tax harmonisation], we need to seriously consider whether it is good for Slovakia as well as for all Europe to carry out those changes,” said Mr Miklos, according to TASR, the Slovak press agency.
From this point of view, he added, the adoption of the EU constitution is “not in the interest of Slovakia’s further positive economic development or of the EU’s competitiveness as such.”
Mr Miklos spelled out his ideas at a pre-election campaign debate on Slovakia’s future foreign policy, as the country prepares for an early parliamentary election on 17 June.
