Social rights are under threat in Europe

The European Union has regretfully taken a neo liberal path that is dismantling the process for a social Europe.

The European Strategy 2020 and the Euro plus Pact are all projects with a neo liberal agenda.

Local political parties and the six members of the European Parliament should offer resistance against neo liberalism and the Euro plus Pact.

There are solutions for another Europe, which include tax on financial transactions and speculation and on dangerous practices related to “climate change”, decent work to make the labour market more secure and competitive, and finally the creation of a solidarity fund that can provide a real and fair European recovery plan, based on the economic, social and ecological policies.

Since 2010, the European Union has attempted to convince people that the new measures are intended only to bring Europe out of the recession, reduce national debts and make Europe more competitive, when in fact this is not the case. The reality is that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicholas Sarkozy, who both embrace right-wing policies, are forwarding, in the Council of Ministers, a package of economic stimulus known as the Euro plus Pact, which will put at risk workers’ wages and the social rights of workers in general.

Many of the member states had already imposed insensitive and regressive policies of austerity, such as a reduction in public spending, especially those related to social benefits and pensions, diminishing of the welfare state, a system that was built over the last 40 years, and more privatisation of public services and deregulation of the labour market.

The Euro Pact is an open and violent attack against social and political rights of the peoples. The aim is to take complete control of financial markets from the hands of peoples and member states. The plan of the Euro 2013 is just the beginning of many more to come.

Żminijietna – Voice of the Left, expresses solidarity with the left and green movements and the trade unions that are growing and becoming more militant in Europe, and support the mobilisation of workers in several European countries for a social and ecological Europe.