Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, former Senegalese Prime Minister Amina Touré, and economists Joseph Stiglitz, Jayati Ghosh and Gabriel Zucman today delivered a powerful and unequivocal message: the global oligarchy must be challenged through fair taxation of the super-rich.
“The wealth of the super-rich is exploding, driving inequality to extremes that threaten democracy, justice, and the survival of life on Earth. We are watching, in real-time, as the super-rich tighten their grip on power and hold entire societies hostage to their greed. Ireland has an extraordinary opportunity now to join the coalition of the willing on tax justice to change this.
“2025 is not just another year — it is a last-ditch opportunity to stop runaway inequality. With South Africa chairing the G20, and Ireland being invited to join, we have a role to play. This is the first time we have a seat at the G20 and we should use this historic chance to take power back from the oligarchs and ensure fair, transparent and democratic systems for everyone.
“We really are at a critical juncture. With Brazil hosting COP30, and Spain driving the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development this year. The world has a rare, historic chance to tackle this extreme inequality and political capture. We can’t afford to be fatalistic and we should remind ourselves that accumulation of extreme wealth and power is nothing new but can be changed by determined, political and people action. Either we allow the super-rich to continue hoarding wealth and power and writing rules to serve themselves, or we fight back by taxing them, breaking their stronghold on power, and dismantling their monopolies to reclaim our societies."
— Jim Clarken, Oxfam Ireland CEO
ENDS
Contact Information: Clare Cronin, Head of Communications and Campaigns – Oxfam Ireland clare.cronin@oxfam.org +353 (0) 87 195 2551
“The wealth of the super-rich is exploding, driving inequality to extremes that threaten democracy, justice, and the survival of life on Earth. We are watching, in real-time, as the super-rich tighten their grip on power and hold entire societies hostage to their greed. Ireland has an extraordinary opportunity now to join the coalition of the willing on tax justice to change this.
