French Tax Hike and Flaring Tempers

By Greg Scoblete
September 10, 2012

Bernard Arnault wants to leave France to avoid high taxes.

In response to a plan to hike taxes on wealthy individuals, France's richest man, Bernard Arnault, has filed for Belgian nationality.

The French left has gladly offered to hold the door open for him. The headline above, from the left-wing daily Liberation, reads: "Get lost, you rich bastard."

Daniel Trilling provides some context:

'The headline is actually a play on a famous gaffe made by the former president, Nicholas Sarkozy, who muttered "casse-toi, pov' con" ("get lost, you poor bastard") at a member of the public who refused to shake his hand. The phrase subsequently became a taunt taken up by Sarkozy's left-wing opponents.'

View Comments

you might also like
Turkey Finds Itself on the Defensive in Syria
Greg Scoblete
Situated in northwestern Syria, Idlib province is the last major rebel-held area that isn't directly protected by Turkey or the United...
Popular In the Community
Load more...