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European Parliament initiates motion of no confidence in European Commission head

The name of the new European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has been marred by his alleged invovlement in a major financial scandal dubbed Luxembourg Leaks or LuxLeaksco
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA/JULIEN WARNAND
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
© EPA/JULIEN WARNAND

BRUSSELS, November 19. /TASS/. The group of so-called “Euro sceptics” in the European Parliament bringing together the UK Independence Party, French National Front and the Italian Five Star Movement have initiated a motion of no confidence in European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, MEPs announced in Brussels on Wednesday.

The very fact that the European integration opponents have collected 76 signatures for putting the issue to the vote is unprecedented in the European Union history. To initiate the resignation of the new European commissioners’ body led by Juncker whose name is linked with a major financial scandal dubbed Luxembourg Leaks or LuxLeaksco, the “Euro sceptics” will have to get in the voting the support of two-thirds of 751 members of the European Parliament.

The scandal over tax deals in Luxembourg is directed against the European Commission's new President Jean-Claude Juncker, who formerly served as the prime minister of the Grand Duchy, Russia's Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said last week.

“The fact that this story has come up now, I can say, is not surprising for me. One could have expected something like this,” the diplomat said in an interview with TASS.

“Political culture in modern Western Europe is so that, unfortunately, such exposures become ordinary things, especially, if a strong personality appears on the political arena,” Chizhov said.

The Russian diplomat said the reputation of Juncker, the longest-serving head of any national government in the EU (from 1995 to 2013), and his current status “will allow him to overcome this case.”

The US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that Luxembourg has brokered secret deals with 340 major companies to help them avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes.