In Austria, a young millionaire wants to redistribute 90% of the inheritance she received from her grandmother. Marlene Engelhorn, that’s her name, has decided to entrust 25 million euros to a citizens’ council which will be responsible for deciding to whom to redistribute this sum. The young thirty-year-old, descendant of the founder of the German chemical giant BASF, has been calling for more tax for a long time and thus intends to walk the talk.
2 mins
Present at the meeting of economic and political elites in mid-January at the Davos Forum, Marlene Engelhorn was a signatory of the appeal Proud to pay more.
Marlene Engelhorn didn’t want the BASF legacy. Quite simply because it is not taxed in Austria, a country where there is no inheritance tax. “ I am convinced that I should have been taxed on that, she confides to our correspondent in Vienna, Isaure Hiace. And in my opinion, the taxation on inheritance, especially on assets like mine, can be very broad. Because in the end, what’s left is always a surplus. So we don’t lose. It’s not income from work, it’s just income from being born. »
Read also260 billionaires sign a platform to implement a wealth tax
She therefore decided to redistribute 25 million euros. Whose ? It will be a citizens’ council which will decide, after having debated it from March to next June. Council made up of 50 people representative of Austrian society, designed by the Foresight institute, where Martin Haselmayer works.
“ At a time when democratic participation is in decline, this is an interesting resource. Research shows that when people are directly engaged or see that people like them can participate in such a process, it can help re-engage them in politics.. »
Beyond the question of her heritage, Marlene Engelhorn hopes for a substantive debate on a fairer redistribution of wealth. “ It is a civic assembly that has one task: to discuss the issue of financial inequality and the unequal distribution of wealth in Austria. And how can we regulate taxation, that’s one of the ways. Everyone has to pay taxes, and everyone does, except those who have the power to decide not to. »
The results will be known next June.
Also listen European millionaires who want to pay more taxes