During a remote intervention with the finance ministers, Bruno Le Maire on Friday invited all his G20 partners to come to Paris in June to sign the multilateral treaty under the aegis of the OECD.
This must transcribe into law the principle of taxing the profits of digital giants in the countries of activity (“pillar 1” of the reform), with the aim of coming into force at the start of 2023.
“It there is no turning back possible”,
hammered the host of Bercy.
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At the same time, as President-in-Office of the Ecofin European Council, he makes it his
"absolute priority"
to adopt the directive on "Pillar 2", the global minimum tax at 15%, by the Twenty- Seven by the end of June.
However, the consensus is still far from being achieved.
Three European countries continue to block or express reservations: Hungary, Poland and Estonia.
Budapest makes it a political lever in the context of the electoral campaign where Viktor Orban is playing his re-election in April.
Warsaw ticks on 'pillar 1' by using 'pillar 2' as an instrument of pressure - a position further complicated by the recent resignation of the finance minister.
Tallinn, for its part, is reluctant to thoroughly groom its tax legislation for a reform that will only concern two companies on its territory.
Bruno Le Maire is increasing contacts with his counterparts before an informal Ecofin meeting in Paris at the end of next week.
After celebrating a
“historic”
deal last year, the devil is in the details.