Article by Rui Paz , collaborator of the International Department
In mid-January,Giorgios Papandreu, the Greek prime-minister, presented to the European Commission, in Brussels, the designated “stabilization”
plan with the pretext the State Public Deficit had exceeded the 12.7 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in 2009. The PASOK,with this initiative, totally laid apart /forgot the electoral promises, which had allowed to take upon the Athens Government, in October. But Greece is not the unique case. Almost all European Union governments, in order to resolve the 2009 financial crisis did not find a better solution than turn the State coffers into ATMs (automatic teller machines), at the service of the monopolist capital and the contaminated banks, by financier speculation.
Of the 27 European Union countries, 20 presented budget deficits which exceeded the GIP’s aleatory 3%, arbitrarily stipulated by Maastricht and which, in the past, had been many times taken into account by France and Germany. Currently, Ireland’s (Eire’s) deficit is 12.5%,
Great Britain’s 12.1%, Spain’s 11%.1, Portugal’s 9.3%, France’s
7.9%.
One might conclude,
the hubbub round Greece’s financial situation, has as a major goal justify another generalized great capital offensive against the
workers’ rights, in order to withdraw the very little that remains out of the miserable salary income and oblige them to pay the derangements of a casino’s economy.
The PASOK
prime-minister horror catalogue, Socrates’ twin brother, which he
has just presented, makes the most serene spirits shiver. The VAT’s
increase on several assets, as for example, the fuels which already
have originated a taxi-driver protest march. Public officials’
salaries devaluation, in 10%. Increase of retirement age to 67
years. Facilities given for the spreading of precarious work
together with the redundancies liberalization. Low salaries extending
unto more and more vaster sectors and continuously public goods and
services privatization. Those who greeted the European integration,
the Maastricht Treaty, the euro, the European Central Bank and the
Lisbon Treaty, have not said which are the consequences ahead for the
great majority of the population, nor which would be the privileged
elite which would benefit from the so-called “free competition”.
They did not explain the European Union purpose was the “law of the
jungle”, in which the great and the
stronger devour the small and the weak.
But, as in Portugal,
France, Germany and other countries, the Greek workers’ answer and
the union movement has not been at rest, and already threats and
speculating on how to find the best way of obliging the people and
the Greek workers’ in “changing their mentality”, have been
uttered.
European Parliament German Liberal Group member, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (FDP)went as far as, during a TV debate, (Phonix Runde, 2010.02.10)
introduce the Colonel Junta, which installed the military
dictatorship in Greece between 1967 and 1974, as an example of how its possible to accept the PASOK Government measures, with Brussels’ support. One must be aware, the fascist regime admirers of the 60’s and 70’s are within the European Parliament, disguised as “liberals”. The struggle and resistance are the safest path to
defeat the offensive of those who have sold out the Portuguese
economy to foreigners and seek all the means of liquidating the
patriotic and democratic beliefs of the Portuguese people and
workers.
