21.   The government has imposed a range of unpopular new taxes and belt-tightening programs to try to bring the nation in line with European Union fiscal guidelines.

22.   The government uses some of the money for public construction and other projects and thereby avoids highly unpopular tax increases.

23.   The unpopular tax set off nationwide protests, with critics charging that the government of President Fidel Ramos was abandoning the poor.

24.   Voters appear disillusioned with the federal government because of its cuts in social benefits and unpopular tax legislation.

25.   German opposition social democrat leader Oskar Lafontaine called Monday for talks with the government of Chancellor Helmut Kohl on its unpopular tax reforms.

26.   Israeli Finance Minister Avraham Shohat said Monday he would recommend that the government drop a hugely unpopular tax on share profits.