Read Poverty in Greece: key facts and figures! by Maria Marinakou, EAPN Greece.
Read Sergio Aires’ speech here below or open it as a pdf in English or Greek.
Read Fintan Farrell’s speech here below or open it as a pdf in English or Greek.
Lire le discours de Marina Angelaki ici (en anglais).
See also Fintan Farrell’s visual presentation of EAPN’s key messages on the issue.
Click here to see the 12 Nov 2012 Eurogroup statement on Greece – with very explicit statement of the enforced austerity, privatization (…) measures supposed to … “help drive growth and recovery” (!!)
Statement by Sergio Aires, President of European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN)
On the occasion of our Executive Committee meeting in Athens (9-10 Nov 2012)
First of all we must remember where this entire crisis comes from and how we came into this situation. EAPN was speaking about the growing levels of inequality and poverty for the last ten years. In reality an major part of the EU citizens were already living in a precarious and vulnerable situation for a long time as consequence of the economic and growth model chosen by EU governments.
There is no money. And above all there is no money for social expenditure and for social protection. But the question is: where did the money go? And for what? In a moment when a majority of EU citizens are facing precarity, 100s of millions are facing poverty and growing numbers living extreme forms of poverty and social exclusion, the rich are still getting richer!
As it is stated by so many stakeholders and social organizations, the medicine is killing the patient! This is even clearer in the so called “Troika countries”. And in some extent it seems to be a deliberate decision. How can we speak about growth being the solution to get out of the crisis and implement huge cuts in some of the most crucial economic stabilising factors like salaries and social protection? That`s why the imposition of such measures and their negative impact seem to be deliberate. Deliberate for what? For the promotion of precarity in these countries towards a new world order meeting the needs of increasingly large Corporations and resulting in slavery and misery for the majority of citizens for the benefit of an even wealthier minority.
In some EU countries the measures imposed and their consequences are putting them out of the EU. Ironically some of the basic criteria to become a member state of the EU are not being accomplished anymore by these countries. One of this is to be a sovereign and democratic country, respecting human rights and assuring equality for all.
But the only consensual preoccupation seems to be finding solutions for the “emergency” and for the most disadvantaged in consequence of the crisis effect. Yes, this is crucial, but answering emergency will not eradicate the causes, particularly when at the macro economical level the causes are still standing there and being defended and implemented in an even more strong way. Where are the EU commitments towards social inclusion and the fight against poverty? Where are the commitments from the EU member state to reduce poverty as agreed by at least 20 million people before 2020? When poverty is growing so fast and intensively how can the EU continue to ignore? Until when will our political leaders follow this road to disaster? Why is it so difficult to come to an agreement of dedicating at least 20% of the next round of the European Social Fund to the fight against poverty?
Last but not least, together with the economic crisis comes another dangerous consequence: the total absence of credibility of the political system. This is the perfect context and environment for the appearance of the most savage populism. History teaches us what can happen when we find ourselves in this kind of context and that’s exactly why we say that we are not just fighting poverty and social exclusion; we are fighting to save our Democracy!
Statement by Fintan Farrell, Director of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)
On the occasion of EAPN’s Executive Meeting in Athens (9-10 Nov 2012)
Introduction: It is vital for deepening EAPN’s understanding and analysis that we are present with our Greek colleagues in these enormously difficult days. Being hear you get a deeper and more direct experience of the realities faced by people who are suffering from the impact of the failed policies we know as ‘austerity’ and it strengthens our resolve to contribute to alternative solutions that respect the European Social Model and which can rebuild confidence in our democratic institutions.
4 key Messages:
- We must remember the real causes of the current crisis: This crisis originates in corporate failure and exposed unsustainable forms of capitalism. Yet these forms of capitalism remain unchallenged and the drivers of these forms of capitalism remain the key contributors to the disastrous policies being implemented to address the crisis. We are now led to believe that public debt is the real problem rather than recognising that public debt has grown because of years of policies which transferred public wealth to private wealth (we are now at inequality levels last seen in the 1930s) and because of the recent transfer of private debt to the public sector.
- The EU Leaders (Prime Ministers and European Commission) are following the wrong path: The EU leaders recognise the enormity of the crisis we are in and this is reflected in their documents on the future of Europe and the road map they set out for arriving to a new Treaty for Europe (particularly the Euro area) which outlines four building blocks: 1) Banking Union, 2) Fiscal Union, 3) Fiscal Union and 4) Economic Union. Once again we miss the essential fifth pillar a SocialWhile recognising historical achievement of the European Union we want to say clearly as EAPN, that we do not accept further EU economic integration without Treaty changes to strengthen cooperation to safeguard Social Europe. It is doubtful that the European Union can secure the support of the people unless this fifth pillar is key in the proposals and so the European Union risks further to undermine our democratic traditions.
- Greece is living through an extraordinary crisis that needs an emergency response: There is European money available through European structural funds which could be better used to respond to the emergency Greek people are facing. The EU should establish without further delay a Task Force in partnership with Greek social NGOs (amongst others) to set up emergency centres, run in cooperation between local authorities, NGOs and others actors, that are capable to meet the urgent needs of people suffering the impacts of the austerity measures.
- We cannot give in to despair: The problems faced by Greece are part of a much wider problem of the devastating impact of a neo liberal model of development. We must draw courage from the movements in Europe and elsewhere that are building peoples resistance to this model and presenting alternative proposal for a future capable to provide a good life for everybody. One extraordinary recent example of this was the active non-violent march in India involving 100.000 landless people demanding the right to land and livelihood (see Ekta Parishad ). This expression of peoples power persuaded the Indian Government, who is also wedded to the neo liberal model, to respond to peoples demands and they signed a historic agreement with the marchers. We salute the courage of these landless peasants and draw inspiration from them for our continued struggle to defend people rights, including their economic and social rights.
Photos: @ Stephan Backes, for EAPN.
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