The Italians may take the view that just because someone is technically based in Italy then they get all the taxes.
Utter nonsense. The issue is only about social contributions, nobody is questioning their right to pay income tax in Ireland pursuant to the bilateral agreements.
An English guy that I know who has been resident in France and paying French tax for 25 years has yet to get anything out of the French social security system simply because he is not French, I fear that this is just a Money grab by the EU states that are in economic trouble and that if I am forced to pay taxes in my base state but I will not get any pension from them when I retire.
I have to call bull!!!! on what your friend is claiming. Citizenship is not a requirement, not even in ultra-nationalistic France.
As I have said above the EEC has to get its act together and come up with a common taxation policy that does not discriminate against those workers who live in one state and work in another.
Income taxes are a matter of national policy, thee EEC has no "act" to "get together". For trans-national matters there are existing bilateral agreements, that make sure that no "discrimination" (read double taxation) takes place, at least within EU member states.
I have no objection to paying the correct tax in any EU state but my concern is that when my pension is due the EU state that I have been taxed in will not pay the pension on the grounds that I have never been a resident.
If you pay social contributions in one country, you will get the same benefits anybody who pays into the same system will get. If you don't trust the government to fulfill its obligations (f.e. because of a future default) then all you can do is emigrate. You cannot refuse to pay just because you don't "trust" them.