Abolishing meritocracy
The road to hell is paved with good intentions: In a bid to promote culture and scientific research and to reinforce the country’s borderline regions, Parliament ages ago approved the establishment of special accounts with money drawn from direct and indirect taxes. However, the noble cause was soon forgotten as successive Socialist administrations used the accounts to reinforce vested interests that effectively distinguished plebeian from patrician workers. Successive governments have since kept up with the corrupt practice, as it suits ministers who want to pay unrecorded bonuses to their staff. It goes without saying that these practices have taken a heavy toll on meritocratic procedures. Furthermore, it means that ministers, who use state money as they see fit, can use it for electioneering purposes. We are faced with a cross-party scandal that is costing taxpayers some 8 billion euros a year. The conservative administration must scrap these funds.
