French debt: the magic trick paid by the middle classes

French public debt has reached record levels and the government is already talking about adjustments. But the problem is not social spending, but a tax system that allows large fortunes and multinationals to avoid taxes. Meanwhile, public services suffer and ordinary citizens bear the cost of an apparent stability that benefits few.

Cinematic scene of a magician pulling a massive French flag from an empty wallet, while a magnifying glass reveals hidden offshore bank accounts and corporate tax evasion documents beneath the wallet, invisible gears labeled with fiscal loopholes spinning in the background, middle-class citizens in the distance carrying heavy chains attached to crumbling public service buildings, photorealistic technical illustration, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, ultra-detailed financial documents and mechanical gears, hyperrealistic textures of worn leather and paper, cinematic depth of field, symbolic action demonstrating fiscal illusion

How digital tax evasion worsens the state deficit 💸

France loses billions each year due to the tax engineering of tech giants and corporations using digital tax havens. Meanwhile, states lack agile tools to tax profits generated within their territory. The technical solution involves implementing mandatory reporting systems and harmonizing minimum tax rates to prevent capital flight without the need to cut social rights.

Magic solution: make the usual people pay (i.e., us) 😒

The flagship plan to balance the books is, of course, tightening the belt on the middle classes. Because it's easier to ask for an effort from someone who is already barely making ends meet than to ask a multinational to pay its fair share. Sure, if anyone sees a low-income earner hiding their money in Switzerland, let us know. The hypocrisy is so great that even the rich laugh about it at gala dinners.