Revolting Europe
ECB
Troika destroys 500,000 jobs in Portugal
The austerity measures demanded by the Troika have destroyed half a million jobs in Portugal. This year, Portugal will have fewer people employed than in 1960. And in 2014 the situation is expected to worsen further. According to Diário de Notícias newspaper, reporting on figures published in the Summer 2013 Economic Bulletin of the Bank of Portugal, ‘already this … Continue reading
The People United Against the Troika
By Esther Vivas Who is the Troika? A year ago few knew the answer to this question. We knew it by reference, to its stay in Greece, and it wasn’t good. The Troika was synonymous with austerity, adjustment and cuts, hardship, hunger and unemployment. But it was not until the arrival in Spain of the … Continue reading
The great crime scene of Greece
It wasn’t too difficult picking out the Fat Bastard in the crowd of Russian models, craven moochers and media mavens. Besides, he and I were both desperate for coffee and heading for the same empty urn. By Greg Palast Read on in the Morning Star
The Troika’s Men in Black and the Crime of Organised Money
Continuing to force states to finance themselves at high-interest rates is just a strategy to justify wage control, the privatisation of public services and, ultimately, to enslave peoples, says Juan Torres Lopez Spain has once again received a visit from the so-called Men in Black, the Troika inspectors, coming to elucidate if all is going as … Continue reading
Eurocrisis: why northern Europe should be celebrating
According to legend, the bailouts of countries of Europe’s south have been costly for Germany and other northern countries such as Finland, Austria and Holland. Hence their obsession with policies of ‘rigor’ and deficit reduction. The truth is that they have earned tens of billions of euro from the south. Maurizio Ricci shows how. Someone – possibly Angela Merkel … Continue reading
Portugal: state agency criticizes “blind cuts”
The Council of Public Finances (CPF), a state body that assesses budgetary policies today deplored the “blind cuts” to public spending accusing the government of slashing state budgets “without any great discernment.” The scathing criticism comes as auditors for the European Commission, the European Central Bank and IMF, known as the troika arrives in Lisbon … Continue reading
Portugal’s unions hail court rejection of pension, wage cuts
Portuguese unions welcomed the decision by the country’s Constitutional Court to strike down four out of nine austerity measures in this year’s budget. The court on Friday rejected cuts in pensioners’ and public servants’ holiday bonuses, as well as reductions to sickness leave and unemployment benefits, which formed part of a swinging austerity plan designed … Continue reading
Politics displaced, economy offshore
Nothing is where it should be. Without a government at Palazzo Chigi, Italian politics is displaced. And as the “Offshore Leaks” scandal has revealed, the economy has meanwhile moved to tax havens, says Mario Pianta Nothing is where it should be. A Palazzo Chigi, the prime minister’s office in Rome, there’s no government resulting from … Continue reading
Greek public sector to protest Troika mass dismissal plan
Unions will be leading a protest in central Athens Wednesday against demands by international creditors to dismiss 25,000 public sector workers. The massive firings are being demanded by the IMF-EU-ECB ‘Troika’ in return for the final 2.8 billion euros tranche of an international loan to Greece due in the first quarter of this year. ”The … Continue reading
Decision time for Italian voters
Italians are voting again after 14 months under “technocrat” Mario Monti. The outcome of the election in terms of delivering a stable government is uncertain. Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left Democrats have been leading in the polls, but billionaire media magnate Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing alliance is expected to put in a strong showing as is newcomer … Continue reading
The 8 big lies Mario Draghi told Spain’s parliament
By Eduardo Garzon On Tuesday 12 February 2013, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Mario Draghi, stood before Spain’s parliament to explain the actions of the ECB in the Eurozone. Leaving aside the shameful and undemocratic fact of a closed hearing (and how absurd it was, because then the speech was published on … Continue reading
Austerity is bad for Europe’s health, say doctors
In an open letter ‘to the political leaders and health authorities in Europe,’ representatives of medics and other leading health professionals in the four of the most badly hit EU countries have demanded an urgent review of austerity policies to ‘prevent further deterioration of health and health services.’ The letter, unveiled Tuesday in Lisbon by … Continue reading
EU leaders must come clean and finally admit – austerity creed is bankrupt
Statement by Gabi Zimmer, president of the GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament: “Although the schedule for the banking union has now been decided – the rulers have once again cheated and avoided clear commitments, rectifications and urgent decisions. In the conflict between different interest groups and in the battle to claim back lost ground, … Continue reading
Sliding to the Periphery – Italy, the Crisis and Europe
Europe was meant to offer the prospect of completing the modernisation of Italy, consolidating an advanced economy, expanding welfare and democracy. Instead, there’s been economic decline and a degradation of democracy while Europe is becoming increasingly unpopular, argues Mario Pianta Read
Mario Draghi or the Pyromaniac Firefighter
IN THE RADICAL PRESS / MEMOIRE DES LUTTES By Jacques Sapir Measures taken by the European Central Bank (ECB) on 6 September favourably influenced markets. But this enthusiasm will be short lived. Far from alleviating the euro zone in the long term, they may, at best, bring it a very temporary respite. The crisis of … Continue reading
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Revolting Europe 