by Dietmar Bartsch and Sahra Wagenknecht - Fri Dec 15 2017

Former Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Panama Papers Inquiry Committee and shadow rapporteur as well as coordinator for the GUE/NGL group on two subsequent LuxLeaks special committees, Fabio De Masi (DIE LINKE.), has been selected by the leading International Tax Review among the 50 globally most influential individuals, organizations and events in the field of taxation for the year 2017 (Global Tax 50).

Sahra Wagenknecht and Dietmar Bartsch, leaders of DIE LINKE. parliamentary group in the German Bundestag congratulate De Masi who recently moved from the European Parliament to the Bundestag to this achievement:

"Thanks to his relentless work for tax justice and against tax evasion, tax avoidance and money laundering in the European Parliament, Fabio De Masi very quickly gained a pristine reputation both internationally and in Germany. Left experts on international taxation matters are much needed in times where egregious scandals like the recent Paradise Papers have almost become routine. European Union Member States alone are losing hundreds of billions of Euros each year to tax dodging while public infrastructure in education, transport, health and other areas remains severely underfunded. As Left, we will keep up our fight against secrecy and tax havens and for a fair taxation of large corporations and the super-rich both in Germany and with our partners across Europe."

Next to De Masi, the Global Tax 50 this year features - amongst others - the British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the renowned tax experts Richard Murphy as well as the international Tax Justice Network, EU competition commissioner Magrethe Vestager and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) which recently released the Paradise Papers.

Video: Fabio De Masi on his nomination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwPfiQ6DGGY

Background: http://www.internationaltaxreview.com/Article/3773447/Global-Tax-50-2017.html