Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The US socio-economic model: the right direction for the EU?
During a hearing entitled "The US socio-economic model: the right direction for the EU?", organised by the European United Left/Nordic Green Left Group (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament this morning, Eva-Britt Svensson (GUE/NGL, Sweden) said the group was working hard to inform people where current EU economic policy is taking us.
"It is very useful for us to learn first hand where this neo-liberal economic wave will lead us and what effects privatisation can have on peoples' lives."
Members of the "Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign" (PPEHRC), a North American organization engaged in the civil rights struggle, participated in the hearing. Addressing them, GUE/NGL President Francis Wurtz expressed his solidarity with their campaign saying that "the socio-economic model that you follow is the one that we seem to be adopting, although we fight against it." He continued by saying that across Europe people were living in increasingly precarious situations due to low wages, increasing privatisation, competition and social dumping. "We are sacrificing our society on the altar of a casino-like economy", he said.
Italian GUE/NGL MEP Umberto Guidoni thanked the PPEHRC for telling the hearing about the situation in the USA, a situation that ignores the lives of millions who suffer, hoping that in doing so they will remain invisible or disappear.
"The Left in Europe needs to put forward another model for society not just sit back and wring its hands and let the US model become the global one. This is not just a battle of and for civilization; it is a battle for health, social welfare, education, homes and jobs. These are integral to life and the market should not dictate how these provisions are provided; the market places no value on such essentials."
"It is very useful for us to learn first hand where this neo-liberal economic wave will lead us and what effects privatisation can have on peoples' lives."
Members of the "Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign" (PPEHRC), a North American organization engaged in the civil rights struggle, participated in the hearing. Addressing them, GUE/NGL President Francis Wurtz expressed his solidarity with their campaign saying that "the socio-economic model that you follow is the one that we seem to be adopting, although we fight against it." He continued by saying that across Europe people were living in increasingly precarious situations due to low wages, increasing privatisation, competition and social dumping. "We are sacrificing our society on the altar of a casino-like economy", he said.
Italian GUE/NGL MEP Umberto Guidoni thanked the PPEHRC for telling the hearing about the situation in the USA, a situation that ignores the lives of millions who suffer, hoping that in doing so they will remain invisible or disappear.
"The Left in Europe needs to put forward another model for society not just sit back and wring its hands and let the US model become the global one. This is not just a battle of and for civilization; it is a battle for health, social welfare, education, homes and jobs. These are integral to life and the market should not dictate how these provisions are provided; the market places no value on such essentials."
Labels: EU Parliament, International
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