Austerity policies have accentuated a North-South divide grounded in a distribution of public spending and the tax burden that is skewed against the Mezzzogiorno, argues economist Guglielmo Forges Davanzati “It is well known what kind of ideology has been disseminated in myriad ways among the masses in the North, by the propagandists of the bourgeoisie: the South … Continue reading
A new European Progressive Economists Network has launched a radical plan to rescue the Continent from austerity and the terror of finance with a democratic and green model of development that brings the banks under social control and promotes public services. The network includes Belgium’s Econosphères, Spain’s Econonuestra, France’s Economistes Atterrés and Italy’s Sbilanciamoci! and … Continue reading
By Vincent Navarro The ruling Conservative and liberal parties, both in Spain and in most European Union countries, including the Eurozone, are implementing policies that result in: 1) labour reforms that reduce wages and increase unemployment, 2) the shrinking of the labour force, 3) reduction of social protection, 4) social spending cuts, 5) the privatization of … Continue reading
By Laurent Mauduit François Hollande committed a major error announcing on July 9 at the opening of the ‘Social Summit’ , that the first of his five priorities was the issue of competitiveness. It was a political mistake, because it saw the head of state mount the battle horse of the Right and the employers. … Continue reading
Introduce a wealth tax, raise corporate tax and reduce the black economy: these are some of the proposed alternatives to cuts unveiled by the union of Spain’s tax officials Wednesday. Cuts to the pay and benefits of public sector workers were announced last week as part of a new round of austerity measures planned by … Continue reading