This tax rise idea comes from Martin Schulz, challenging an idea put forward by EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia in his abundant advice on how the pensions system should be reformed in Italy, like increasing the pension age to 65 for women, to which the trade unions reacted angrily. “One should not intervene where one does not have any power. It is for the Italian government to solve the pension problem in Italy,” responded Martin Schulz, who did, however, come up with his own suggestions for the Italians - to reform the pension system, rather than attacking people who do not have any money, in other words pensioners, it would be better, argued German Social Democrat MEP Schulz, “to increase the tax paid by Berlusconi and his media empire.” (L.C./transl.fl)