Revolting Europe
privatisation
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
The coherence of Tsipras and lessons for Italy
By Giorgio Cremaschi If the new Greek government begins now to live up to his election programme by establishing the minimum wage to 750 euro per month Germany’s Merkel-SPD government will close the door to any negotiations on the debt. In fact, with the “reforms” that have made the German model to the whole continent, … Continue reading
Swedish lessons? Interpreting the recent elections
It is difficult to conceive that those responsible for the crisis, implementing measures that created the crisis, are the answer to it. Yet they’ll have us believe these are the lessons from the Swedish elections. Is this so, asks Francisco Louçã A little over a week ago, the Swedish elections produced a slim majority for a … Continue reading
Why the French are right to go on strike
After the recent strikes affecting the French railways – the longest in recent history – air traffic control and the entertainment industry there are fears among the establishment that, as the Economist puts it, France is ‘back to the bad old days’. That was the terminology used about Britain in the 1970s and early 1980s … Continue reading
Inequality and corruption threaten democracy
By Guido Rossi* The widespread perception that corruption has permeated the entire political, economic and social development of Italy in ways more serious than ever before, seems to have two obvious causes. The first is that it is a consequence of the decline of the existing order and the Italian political institutions; the second is … Continue reading
Italy’s fresh privatisation drive is economic nonsense
IN THE RADICAL PRESS / IL MANIFESTO Italian ministers have given the OK to afresh wave of privatisations, but to what purpose asks Marco Bersani Italy’s cabinet yesterday gave the go ahead to place on the Stock Exchange a 40% stake in the Italian Post Office and 49% of air traffic control company ENAV, aiming … Continue reading
The great private pensions fraud
Fresh from implementing reforms of its pension system Mariano Rajoy’s Spain is now preaching the merits of its pro-market policies to the rest of Europe, backed by the Troika. But state pension cuts and the virtues of private insurance-based schemes are built on myths that serve financial capital, argues Vicenç Navarro There’s been a constant onslaught by banks and … Continue reading
Inside the Greek laboratory
IN THE RADICAL PRESS / MEMOIRE DES LUTTES A new book publishing the views of Greek scholars and professionals on the impact of Troika policies has helped Bernard Cassen understand better the criminal nature of market fundamentalism pursued by Brussels, Frankfurt and Berlin You have to be very naive to believe that the fury of the “troika” against Greece … Continue reading
The crisis in the Balkans reflects Europe’s failure
Forget Berlin – to see the dark side of Europe we must look to Bosnia, the first victim of Friedman’s “shock therapy” on the Continent, says Emilio Molinari If someone in the European elections wants to understand a little more of the dark side of the European Union, of the Fiscal Compact and the 3% budgetary … Continue reading
Italy’s industrial meltdown – what is to be done?
As the crisis at white goods maker Electrolux heralds another round of plant closures in the Eurozone’s second largest manufacturing nation, economist Guido Viale argues that Italy has to take a radical new approach based on public sector intervention. What is to be done when the owner of a company decides to close down a … Continue reading
Lessons from the victory against Madrid’s hospital privatisation plan
Victory this week against Madrid’s hospital privatisation – and other recent struggles in Spain – shows popular resistance delivers results, says Esther Vivas “Resisting is pointless,” we hear endlessly repeated. “So many years of protest but the crisis continues, why bother?” insist others, inoculating us with apathy and resignation. “Protests could lead to something that’s even … Continue reading
‘Ignorant’ Troika slammed for Portugal record as give-away privatisation criticised
As part of the the Troika ‘bail out’ deal of 2011, the Portuguese government agreed to a mass privatisation programme flogging off publicly owned energy, water and waste management, communications, insurance, transportation, ship-building and public broadcasters. Lisbon has reportedy already beaten its bailout target to raise 5.5 billion euros from privatisations by the end of 2013, but if … Continue reading
Italy’s new privatisation drive is Thatcherite madness
By Giorgio Cremaschi This week Italy’s government launched its privatisation plan, ostensibly to boost the economy. This is a thoroughly reactionary operation. In 2008, with the start of the Great Depression, the ultra-liberal economic model launched in the early ’80s by Reagan and Thatcher failed. Since then, countries have broadened the scope of their intervention … Continue reading
Why Spain’s teachers and students are striking
Javier López* The crisis is having a devastating impact on essential public services such as education. Until 2009 the public expenditure on education was approaching the European average, reaching 5.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Since then central and regional government have been brutally cutting their education budgets, leading to a 30.5 percent drop … Continue reading
Italy: Tens of thousands of students take to streets to demand investment in education
From Milan to Palermo, from Venice to Bari, in 70 cities across Italy, tens of thousands of high school students took to the streets Friday to demand investment in education. Local reports said twenty five thousand marched in Naples, 5,000 in Rome, 4,000 in Bari, 5,000 in Milan, 4,500 in Turin, 1,000 in Genoa, and … Continue reading
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