The Federal Planning Bureau has confirmed that the Belgian green party, Ecolo, is the greenest and fairest party. This organization considers Ecolo to be the party that best redistributes wealth among French-speaking parties. The Greens’ program increases the income of those who have the least and corrects inequalities. Ecolo is also, with Groen, the party whose measures contribute the most to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for climate change.
For the upcoming European elections, the Belgian Green Party has put in place an effective program. Ecolo has taken measures aimed at improving the power to live with dignity (350 euros/month, increase in the minimum wage, social benefits, free transport), mobility, food, housing (investment in the future), health and safety (increase in police force) are financially feasible thanks to an increase in taxes on the rich (3.5 billion), the globalization of income (6 billion), the taxation of capital gains (1.7 billion), and the reduction of benefits linked to company cars (3.4 billion).
According to the Federal Planning Bureau, the Ecolo program benefits everyone. The application of its measures will lead to a reduction in poverty, the creation of 92,420 additional jobs in 5 years, an additional reduction of 5% in greenhouse gas emissions, an increase in low and middle incomes, a reduction in wage inequalities, an increase in the supply of public transport and a reduction in traffic jams, securing the electricity supply, a reduction in wage costs for businesses, growth of 2.3% in GDP over 5 years, and a improvement of public finances.
Ecolo proposes the measures:
- Who best redistribute wealth and advance low and middle incomes
- Which leads to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Which reduce traffic jams the most.
These measures taken by the Green Party are political decisions. To finance all of this, it is necessary to seek funds where they are most abundant by making the wealthiest contribute more. Ecolo wants to achieve this by implementing an ambitious tax reform, which will reduce taxes on work for employees with modest and middle incomes, while increasing taxes on capital and the wealth of large fortunes.
According to Ecolo, the Planning Office’s calculations did not include several important elements: tax evasion, kerosene taxation, the positive impacts of green public investments on disposable income (which remains of the total money that a person earns after paying their financial obligations), mobility and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the measures proposed at European level. Furthermore, according to the Greens, it did not take into account the impact of the environment, biodiversity and climate on the economy. However, the cost of inaction will be considerable in the years to come. Ecolo considers itself to be the most ambitious party in terms of ecological transition, which will reduce the cost of inaction, an aspect not taken into account in these estimates.
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