What do citizens in tax havens think? The EU blacklist and public opinion in Switzerland

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Aanor Roland
  • Vincent Arel-Bundock
  • Loriana Crasnic
  • Indra Römgens
Blacklisting is a widely used yet controversial instrument aimed at encouraging tax havens to alter their domestic policies, particularly in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. International organizations such as the OECD and the EU have published tax haven blacklists, but these have been criticized for their limited effectiveness as policy tools. This paper examines the political rationale behind the EU’s blacklist, by focusing on the potential role of public opinion as a driver of policy change. Specifically, we ask whether the threat of blacklisting – through naming-and-shaming or economic sanctions – can shape public attitudes toward tax reform in low-tax jurisdictions. To do this, we conduct an original survey experiment in Switzerland, and show that both a ‘naming-and-shaming’ and an ‘economic threat’ treatment significantly increase public support for tax reform, though estimated effect sizes are modest. These results provide insight into the potential of international instruments like blacklists to mobilize public opinion in support of policy change.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of European Integration
Number of pages18
ISSN0703-6337
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 13.02.2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

    Research areas

  • Politics - üublic opinion, tax havens, blacklist, politicization, european union