Spain: controversy after the move of the multinational Ferrovial

The logo of the Spanish transport company Ferrovial.

REUTERS - Sergio Perez

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Considered one of the flagships of Spanish industry, the multinational specializing in transport infrastructure has decided to move and settle in the Netherlands, where the corporate tax system is financially more attractive.

Advertisement

Read more

With our correspondent in Madrid,

François Musseau

Rafael del Pino is not a patriotic entrepreneur and has set a dangerous precedent.

This is the direct accusation made by the socialist government against the CEO of Ferrovial, one of the biggest Spanish multinationals.

The reason: having decided to settle in the Netherlands where corporate taxation is more advantageous and which, in concrete terms, according to Ferrovial, will allow him to save 40 million euros per year.

Everything is legal, specifies the socialist power, because it is a country of the European Union.

A new tax on the wealthiest companies

But the transport infrastructure company is taxed, in the political and media spheres, with a spirit that is not in solidarity with the interests of the country.

If other Spanish multinationals followed this example, it would be a disaster for the national economy, said the Ministry of Finance.

The dissatisfaction is all the greater, because in Spain, Rafael del Pino has obtained 1 billion euros for three years thanks to public competitions.

The company on its side remains silent, and is silent about what everyone knows: it is fleeing Spain too, because the government is about to apply an additional tax on the richest companies. 

► To read also: Amazon condemned in Spain for having made work 2166 "false self-employed"

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

Extend your reading on the same topics

  • Spain

  • Economy

  • Transportation