The state and its money - The history of taxes

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the austerity policies that came with it, riots broke out across Europe: whether it was Brexit supporters in the UK, Yellow Vests in France or losers of reunification in Germany. The protests highlight citizens' growing distrust of their governments. The stumbling block is often tax policy. "No taxation without representation" - since the American independence movement, taxation and popular sovereignty have been mutually dependent. The current civil protests remind those in power of this basic rule of democracy. The protests are thus linked to an eventful history: since the Middle Ages, conflicts have repeatedly flared up between the peoples of Europe and their governments over the tax issue. The two-part documentary traces these conflicts.