France's Le Pen tells EU Commission president Juncker to resign over Luxembourg tax evasion

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s euro-sceptic, anti-immigration Front National party has called for the resignation of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker over a tax evasion system in his native Luxembourg, where he was prime minister for 18 years.

EU Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker Reuters/Yves Herman

According to an investigation published on Thursday by 40 media organisations around the world, between 2002 and 2010 Luxembourg signed tax accords with 340 multinational companies which allowed them to pay less tax.

Among the companies cited are Apple, Amazon, Pepsi as well as Sweden’s Ikea and French company Axa.

Although the arrangements were legal and Luxembourg was not the only country to pass such accords, Le Pen says that Juncker’s credibility is compromised by the revelation of the affair.

“This practice sheds light on the detestable practices in this tax haven at the heart of Europe, led for 18 years by the man who is now president of the European Commission: Jean-Claude Juncker”, Marine Le Pen wrote in a communiqué.

“In the face of this international scandal, which poses a problem which is not just political but also ethical and moral, the Front National calls for the resignation of M. Juncker and immediate explanations from successive governments about these tax evasion practices about which, everything suggests, they were informed.”

The leader of a smaller French euro-sceptic party, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan also wants Juncker to resign over the matter.

“The European Commission has been investigating such practices in Luxembourg since June but how could anyone believe for a minute that Brussels can act with complete independence with, at its head, the politician who was Prime Minister of this tax haven for 18 years?”, he asked in a statement released today.

“It is impossible for Europe to sort out this problem of tax evasion with Jean-Claude Juncker at the helm ….the resignation of Juncker is therefore unavoidable”, added Dupont-Aignan.