Finance

He was a "king of black money," people on the streets outrage. The Spanish satirical magazine "El Jueves" featured a caricature on its cover that showed Juan Carlos I. makes off with travel bags full of money.

Four months ago, the retired king, who in 2014 passed the crown to his son Felipe VI. handed over, disappeared abroad. Like a thief, Juan Carlos had secretly disappeared overnight from the palace in Madrid in early August. It is now known that at the time he was traveling by private jet to Abu Dhabi had flown to the United Arab Emirates.

At first it was said that Juan Carlos had checked into a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, where he occupied a suite that cost around 6000 euros per night. Now Spain's largest newspaper "El PaIs" claims to have learned that the old king, at the invitation of the Emirates' ruling Ruling family Al Nahyan living in one of the many palaces of the Al Nahyan clan.

In Germany and other EU countries, large stores are to be equipped with Cash soon to be largely banned: For cash payments with bills and coins, there should be in principle a legal limit of 10.000 euros. Only a traceable money transfer, for example by bank transfer or credit card, would then be permitted, for example, at the used car dealership. This is what a draft law presented on Tuesday by the EU Commission to combat money laundering provides for.

With this initiative, Brussels is also targeting Germany in particular – because many other EU countries already have national cash limits. "We want clean euros, not dirty ones," said Financial Market Commissioner Mairead McGuinness.

EU Commission: Money laundering threatens economy and financial system

Most people do not carry 10.000 euros around with them, which are also "quite heavy". Large cash payments are a threat to Criminal on the other hand, an easy way to launder money. The EU Commission sees money laundering as a "clear threat" to the economy and financial system, says McGuinness.

1000 euro salary monthly for every citizen – without preconditions? Reactions from politicians range from "ridiculous" to "priceless". The unconditional basic income was mostly considered an illusion until now. But at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the idea is gaining supporters.

With Philip Jennings, general secretary of the international union federation UNI, now also a prominent employee representative expressed itself approvingly. "We should consider unconditional basic income," Jennings said during a WEF panel discussion.

Responding to the future digital workplace

UNI Global Union is an international federation of trade unions representing some 20 million workers, mainly in the service sector. Trade unionists have so far mostly rejected the concept because they consider it a "set-aside premium". Frank Bsirske, head of the services union Verdi, recently spoke out against the basic income, as did German Labor Minister Andrea Nahles (SPD). Verdi is a member of UNI Global Union.