Zapatero announces new tax for the rich 'within weeks'

The Spanish Prime Minister spoke in congress this morning to confirm the introduction of a new tax structure for higher earners, which will come into effect over the next few weeks.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said that the new tax would be directed towards ‘citizens with a high economic capacity’, but he did not go on to say under what circumstances, or how these taxes would be applied.

The leader of the the opposition, Mariano Rajoy demanded that the exact details of the new taxes were given in order to clear up any uncertainty that surrounded the issue.

However, all the deputies - with the exception of the PSOE - are giving their support to a Partido Popular motion which proposes that the freezing of pensions should be removed from the spending cuts under the austerity plan.

The Government has described the opposition motion as ‘opportunist’, but if the pensions freeze goes ahead, the PP say they will vote against the entire package of cut backs.