Czechs roll out the barrel in protest

The Czech Republic plans to send a barrel of beer to Brussels as an “extraordinary ambassador” to show its opposition to a proposed rise in EU beer taxes.

Germany has made it clear that a proposed 31% increase won’t fly, but European Union Tax Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs is pushing a proposal that would raise the tax on beer 4.5% in some countries.

“Beer is part of Czech culture, like wine is part of the culture of the French,” Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondra said in a statement the accompanied news he’d be traveling with the keg.