[E-rundbrief] Info 1022 - Austerity, debt, social destruction in Europe: stop !

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 1022 - Austerity, debt, social destruction in 
Europe: stop ! Coordinate our strengths - Democratic alternatives are 
necessary and possible! Conclusions of a European Conference (Brussel, 
31.5.2011).

Bad Ischl, 21.6.2011

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

================================================

  Austerity, debt, social destruction in Europe: stop !

  Coordinate our strengths - Democratic alternatives are necessary and 
possible!

  European Conference on 31 May 2011

  in the European Parliament (Brussels) - in partnership with the 
GUE/NGL Parliamentary group

Our conclusions

  This conference reflects an emergency.

  It took place at a time when the Euro crisis, the crisis of the EU, 
is deepening in the context of a general crisis of financialised 
capitalism. Europe, whose bases have been destabilised, finds itself 
in a dead end. With the Euro Pact Plus, a fresh limit has been 
overstepping the worsening of the social and democratic crisis. 
Ecological issues can not find solution in this context.

  Europe finds itself at the crossroads — its legitimacy is receding.

  More than ever before, the only way out of the crisis lies in 
resistance and struggles to reject the Euro Pact Plus, the new 
European economic governance, the generalisation of austerity and the 
pressure of public debts. It lies in changing Europe to make it an 
area of cooperation and solidarity. We must act together in Europe to 
counter the divisions, the nationalism and resentment that can only 
encourage populist and radical Rightwing trends that are growing today 
even as we must link the European issues to the struggles at national 
level and everywhere making clear the things we have in common.

  The social and political conflict is very tough.

  Difficulties are continually worsening for wage earners and 
pensioners, for those in insecure employment, young people migrants 
and the poorest people, or those being reduced to poverty. Everywhere 
women are the worst affected. We welcome as most encouraging the 
movements of “the indignant ones” in many European countries for “a 
real democracy”.

  Convergent demands that mobilise

  We have observed that a number of struggles go in the same direction 
by bearing the demand for a harmonisation of rights towards the high 
levels and that, in an atmosphere of indignation there are many 
convergences between social and civic movements, trade unionists as 
well as social and political activists.


     *

        The answer to problems raised in Europe as well as to the 
acute difficulties arising in several counties must be European and 
united.
     *

        Economic cooperation at European level must have the objective 
of answering to people\s needs. The architecture of the Euro, of the 
institutions, of European Treaties and arrangements must be altered to 
allow this.
     *

        The public debts must be reduced: by new revenue; by the 
lowering of the interest rates that States and local authorities must 
pay; by the reduction of transfers to the creditors; by measures to 
cancel the illegitimate parts of debts on the basis of public and 
citizen audits that would enable the penalisation of speculators and 
the protection of simple savings and pensioners.
     *

        New systems of public revenue must be carried set up out in 
various forms: a fairer and less inegalitarian taxation system; the 
stopping of fiscal dumping; the taxation of revenue from capital and 
financial transfers; and the suppression of unacceptable kinds of 
expenditure, e.g. military ones.
     *

        Many political measures must contribute to organising a 
organising a more radical redistribution of wealth and to push back 
social inequalities and injustices.
     *

        The financial sectors and banks must be subjected to more 
restrictive rules, with measures for public and social appropriation 
of the necessary instruments so as to work in support of a new mode of 
social and ecological development. There must be an end to the ECB’s 
restrictive policies.
     *

        It is essential to reopen the perspective of an upward social 
convergence so as to stop the downward spiral of social dumping, the 
dismantling of social protection and retirement systems and the growth 
of pauperisation.
     *

        To enable the upward convergence of incomes: the establishment 
of a European minimum wage based on each country’s average income to 
counter social and wages dumping and making the social minima 
proportional the minimum wage. As a matter of immediate urgency, so as 
to struggle against social exclusion, no income may be lower than the 
poverty level. Women, the prime victims of low wages, are especially 
concerned by such a change of direction.
     *

        To counter the impoverishment of new populations, the concept 
of social security must broadened to integrate the population as a whole.

  • The most vulnerable populations, crushed by indebtedness and 
threatened with expulsion from their homes, as is the case in Poland, 
Hungary and Rumania as well as other European countries, must be 
assisted and be able to benefit from a right to housing.

     *

        European subsidies granted to the Eastern countries must in no 
case strengthen the indebtedness of local authorities: there must be a 
ban on the property of local councils being based on credits or 
debentures.
     *

        European policy regarding migrants must be radically changed 
and observe their social and human rights and encourage cooperation 
and solidarity.
     *

        European public services must be preserved and developed so as 
to encourage the principle of equality, solidarity and education for 
all; research projects needed their societies and the emergence of a 
new mode of social and ecological development. This is a fundamental 
objective to ensure that social activities remain in the public area 
and cannot be transferred as unpaid domestic activity by women or 
underpaid wage groups.
     *

        Ecological and social issues require, more than ever, public 
and democratic control of economic decisions: moving on to another 
kind of economy is needed at local, national and European level.
     *

        Democracy is in retreat in Europe, it must be defended and 
become more real as is being demanded by citizens all over Europe.

  The mobilisations in Europe must be strengthened and brought closer 
to favour a radical change of Europe — this is a matter of urgency. 
This conference expresses its full solidarity with the movements of 
resistance to austerity, the pressure of the debt, and movements for a 
genuine democracy.

  Several initiatives are already being prepared to enable the advance 
and broadening of movements of struggle:

     *

        19 June: a Day of Action in Spain on the initiative of the 
“indignant ones” of the Puerta del sol and solidarity initiatives in 
other countries.
     *

        21 June: A European Day of Action called for by the ECTU.
     *

        1 October: a conference against austerity and privatisation in 
London.
     *

        15 October an international action launched by the 15 May 
Movement (Porta del Sol)
     *

        1 November: a demonstration against the G20 (near Cannes/Nice, 
in France) followed by a Peoples’ Forum.

  Several paths are still being discussed:

     *

        Ways of opposing the Euro Pact Plus and the economic 
governance package by multiplying the initiatives and carrying out 
campaigns of information and explanation
     *

        Carrying out public and citizens’ audits on the public debt in 
various countries followed by a European encounter to finalise the 
synthesis of the results and draw up common strategies to cancel the 
illegitimate debts of European States.
     *

        A variety of actions on 23 and 24 June during the meeting of 
the European Council on the subject of governance.
     *

        Reporting back the work of the conference as part of the 
European Social Forum process within which this initiative was started.
     *

        Deciding on the creation of an open and mobilising “debt and 
austerity” network with the aim of drawing up analyses, convergences 
and initiatives.

  Some questions remained open in the discussion, particularly a 
proposal put forward by the Greek participants: should we try to 
develop a “common front of trade unions, movements, political forces” 
whose aims converge? Or the path of a “citizens’ pact” to rebuild Europe.

  Since September 2010, forces involved in the European Social Forum 
and In European social mobilisations wished to organise this 
conference, a year after the European-wide hyper-austerity agreement.

  ATTAC (Germany, France, Hungary, Flanders, Spain), CADTM (France, 
Belgique, Suisse, Greece, Spain, Poland), Transform! Europe, 
Euromarches, Solidaires (France), FGTB (Belgium), EuroMemo Group, 
Forum soziales Europa (trade unionist network), Joint Social 
Conference, TransNational Institut (TNI, Amsterdam), Prague Spring II 
Network (CEE), Greek social Forum, Austrian Social Forum, Forum social 
de Belgique, Hungarian social forum network, Espaces Marx (France), 
Socialismo21 (Spain), Copernic Foundation (France), Mémoire des luttes 
(France), Patas Arriba, Nicos Poulantzas Institut (Greece), Society 
for European Dialogue (SPED, Czech Republic), Initiative des femmes en 
mouvement contre la dette et les plans d’austérité, Transform ! 
Brussels, World march women, Rood (Flanders), Coalition of Resistance 
(UK), WIDE (Women In Development Europe), Realpe (European network of 
progressive local deputies); cgt-fsu-solidaires of Le Havre on strike; 
Mesas Ciudadanas de Convergencia y Accion;

  Have also participated: European Association for the Defence of 
Human Rights/Association Européenne pour la Défense des Droits de 
l'Homme (AEDH); European Feminist Initiative; Ligue des droits de 
l’homme (France), Fédération syndicale unitaire (FSU, France) ; trade 
unionists from different countries

  Contacts:

  Verveine Angeli - angeli [at] solidaires.org

  Elisabeth Gauthier - elgauthi [at] internatif.org

  Christine Vanden Daelen - christine [at] cadtm.org

-- 

Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
Wolfgangerstr. 26, A-4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
Impressum in: http://www.begegnungszentrum.at
Spenden-Konto Nr. 0600-970305 (Blz. 20314) Sparkasse Salzkammergut,
Geschäftsstelle Pfandl
IBAN: AT922031400600970305 BIC: SKBIAT21XXX

--

Ausgezeichnet mit dem (österr.) "Journalismus-Preis von unten 2010"

Honoured by the (Austrian) "Journalism-Award from below 2010"