Revolting Europe
Italy
Europe’s neo-liberal road began at Mont Pélerin
By Luciano Gallino When I open the windows in the morning these days, my gaze inevitably falls on Mont Pélerin, beyond the lake. It is a hill a few kilometres from Switzerland’s Montreux, known since the twenties for good hotels and a good climate. It is also the birthplace of the Mont Pélerin Society in … Continue reading
After regional election blow, Italy’s Renzi will ‘carry on’ regardless
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has promised to step up his efforts to ‘reform’ Italy and deal with critics in his party after euro-sceptic populist parties secured successes in local elections. Candidates backed by the Italian PM’s Democratic Party (PD) won five out of seven regions where polls where held on Sunday, maintaining its overall position before … Continue reading
Can we hold the Troika to account for human rights violations?
Not only have the Troika’s austerity policies been an abject failure but in inflicting suffering on millions of people, the three headed beast of the EU-ECB-IMF has severely violated human rights that are recognized by the EU itself. But can the charges stick, asks Luciano Galliano “The governance of the crises in the European Union has led to massive violations … Continue reading
6 reasons why teachers and students are marching in Italy today
Up to half a million teachers, students and parents are expected to march today in Italy protest against PM Matteo Renzi’s education ‘reforms’. The spin is that the changes will offer a ‘good school’ to all in a country that suffers from a dire underinvestment in education – Italy spends less as a proportion of … Continue reading
Renzi one year on: austerity still rules Italy
One year after PM Renzi came to power and three governments since Berlusconi, Italy is still depressed, thanks to unending austerity programmes, finds Leopoldo Nascia* Seven years of crisis and three and half years of political shocks the have brought, in succession, the governments Mario Monti, Enrico Letta and Matteo Renzi, have failed to pull … Continue reading
I am ashamed to be European
By Giorgio Cremaschi Double standards have always been a hallmark of the European ruling classes. At least since the governments and liberal revolutions of the late 1700s proclaimed human rights, except for slaves overseas and most of the workers. Europe’s double standards collapsed exactly one hundred years ago with the first world war. After twenty … Continue reading
A new ‘fiscal’ currency to tackle the Eurocrisis, from Greece to Italy
Enrico Grazzini To overcome the crisis the new Greece’s Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis is considering a new national ‘fiscal’ currency to that proposed for Italy by myself and my colleagues Luciano Gallino, Biagio Bossone, Marco Cattaneo, Guido Ortona, Stefano Sylos Labini (Helicopter Money per l’Italia: uscire dalla crisi con l’emissione di nuova moneta statale-fiscale complementare … Continue reading
Greece’s new government, Tsipras and the issue of sovereignty
Why did Syriza choose the Independent Greeks as coalition partner? And how will the other Eurozone countries react to the new Government in Athens? Jacques Sapir explains Syriza has won and secured 149 seats in the Greek parliament. Alexis Tsipras, its charismatic leader, is the big winner of the elections this Sunday, January 25th. Many people … Continue reading
Without a national currency there is no democracy
Enrico Grazzini explains how Italy can save itself from Euro death Europe, and especially in Italy, is still struggling to understand the crucial value of money in the economy, politics and democracy. Unfortunately, the error is shared by much of the left. Everyone understands (at least apparently) that there is no political democracy without a democratic … Continue reading
Renzi and Salvini, two faces of the same regime
Giorgio Cremaschi on recent regional elections in Italy that saw wins for PM Renzi but also a sharp decline in voter turn-out and a revival in the xenophobic Northern League. To me it is not surprising that prime minister Matteo Renzi exhales the success of the his Democratic Party ( PD) in the regional elections, … Continue reading
‘We are the vote for hope’ : Interview with Podemos’ Pablo Iglesias
He’s MEP of the European Left in the Gue-NGL grouping, “that defends the dignity of the people and democracy ». He’s also leader of Spain’s Podemos movement, which to general surprise won 8% in the Continent-wide elections in May and is accredited in opinion polls today as the leading political force in the country with … Continue reading
Is Renzi’s frenetic austerity-reform agenda fuelling the far-right?
As it has been argued in the mainstream media, the regional election vote in Italy is a warning signal to PM Matteo Renzi. His ‘centre-left’ Democratic Party (PD) emerged victorious in the poor southern region of Calabria and the historically ‘red’ central region of Emilia Romagna. But there was a collapse in turnout on Sunday, which, … Continue reading
Renzi’s austerity cuts are bad for Italy’s health
Public expenditure on health in Italy is lower than that of other major European countries. Yet in recent years 10 billion euros has been axed from health budgets, hitting services and access to them for the poorest. And PM Matteo Renzi is continuing the cuts, says Stefania Gabriele * That we should reduce government spending … Continue reading
Why has the EU’s political revolt been confined to Greece and Spain?
Paolo Gerbaudo Amid a worsening economic crisis, a look at the protest movements that are struggling against austerity could be described as a two-speed.Europe An expression abused by economists and political scientists talking about the different levels of economic productivity and political integration of European countries, it also captures well the distance between countries where … Continue reading
The honeymoon is over for Italy’s PM Renzi
Friday’s mass protests in Italy mark the end of the honeymoon period for PM Renzi Thousands took to the streets of Milan and other cities on Friday in the first of union-led protests that will culminate in a general strike next month. At issue is the government’s labour counter-reforms that will make it easier for … Continue reading
DATA
WAGES SLIDE
Wealth Inequality in Europe
RADICAL VOICES
Italy’s Healthcare Crisis
550 days, 29 Workers, Zero Job Losses
Filthy Rich
SANTA DRAGHI’S COMING
POPULAR FIGHTBACK
FLORENCE’S BUS LUMACA
Popular resistance delivers results
FRENCH FACTORY OCCUPATION
Watching Corporate Europe
- Job opening: Media Outreach Coordinator
- Revolving doors round-up
- Leak shows Commission giving inside information to car lobby on new emissions tests
Fight discrimination in Europe – Amnesty Int’l
- Listen to Roma Rights
- Poland abandoning hundreds of victims of hate crimes
