Posturing and belligerence in the Apple tax tug-of-war
Europe is showboating, and the government’s still in denial over its tax ruling
Vindictive. That was the conclusion of Michael Creed, the agriculture minister. For his cabinet colleague Paschal Donohoe, it was both unwarranted and unjustified. Their boss, Leo Varadkar, labelled it disappointing and regrettable. The government, it seems, is collectively aghast at being so publicly rebuked by the European Commission for Ireland’s tardiness in collecting the €13 billion in tax due from Apple.
Over in Brussels, meanwhile, Margrethe Vestager was having none of it, boldly ...
