
30 April 2012: Vicky Cann previews a movement-building conference on European austerity in Brussels this weekend
Austerity for the many; impunity for the wealthy and powerful that caused the crisis. Escalating public debt; massive bank bailouts. Centralised decision-making in Brussels; national democracies undermined. Trade union rights abandoned; unabashed corporate influence growing.
These are just some of the impacts witnessed in recent times since the financial bubble burst and Europe became embroiled in the severest economic crisis in human memory. Fine words by politicians in 2008 about the need to clean up 'casino capitalism' and that the 'banks will pay' are now a distant memory as youth unemployment across Europe soars and the people of Greece experience shocking levels of poverty and destitution.
Meanwhile, the power, access and influence of corporations – and their lobbyists – grows to unprecedented levels. The Institute of International Finance (IIF), a lobby group established by the biggest banks became the EU's interlocutor on the Greek debt issue. In fact the media reported that the IIF's then president, Josef Ackermann of Deutsche Bank was actually present at the European Council's July Summit. Meanwhile the Austerity Treaty and the avalanche of laws on economic policies already adopted neatly reflect the demands of the biggest corporate lobby group of all, BusinessEurope. The corporate capture of EU decision-making - or corporate EUtopia - looks set to continue.
In the face of such challenges, it is easy to become despondent. Yet in 2011 the Indignados followed by the Occupy movement plus wave after wave of strike action gave many hope that another Europe was possible. They reminded us that we are not powerless and that we do not lack supporters, nor organisational ability, nor concrete ideas of what progressive alternatives to the dominant neoliberal ideology would look like.
But as decision-makers in Brussels become more and more heavy-handed in imposing privatisation and public service cuts across the EU, and the Austerity Treaty threatens to lock-in this model for generations to come, the need for pan-European and EU-level analysis, resistance, and alternatives has never been stronger.
That's why, in its 15th birthday year, Corporate Europe Observatory, together with the Transnational Institute and the European Federation of Public Services Unions are jointly hosting 'EU in Crisis' - two days of debate to discuss democratic alternatives, strengthen networking, and develop concrete plans for action.
With speakers from the north, south, east and west of Europe, from trade unions, from social movements and from academia, the event will bring together key voices to share and strategise. Action planning sessions will focus on reining in the financial markets; resisting social regression; a social and ecological way out of the crisis; economic governance and corporate rule; eurozone, debt and solidarity; resistance and alternatives to EU-driven privatisation; and countering the corporate lobby. All will focus on national-level and EU-level action.
Join CEO, TNI, EPSU and many others on 5-6 May 2012 in Brussels. Find out more and register online at: www.corporateeurope.org/EU-in-crisis-conf. Speakers will include: Susan George, Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, Leigh Phillips, Esther Vivas, Mariana Mortágua, Alexis Passadakis, Miren Etxezarreta, Jakub Patočka, Andy Storey, Trevor Evans
Councils and the cuts in Wales – event report Darren Williams, secretary of Welsh Labour Grassroots, reports from a day school in Cardiff on councils and the cuts
Solidarity with Max Watson and Jawad Botmeh Two members of London Metropolitan University Unison, including the branch chair, have been suspended. Union activists launched a campaign to defend them
Tunisia’s poet and politician: who was Chokri Belaid? The assassination of opposition figure Chokri Belaid has sparked a new surge in the Tunisian movement. Mohamed-Salah Omri explains who he was and why he mattered
Video: Peter Tatchell speaks on economic democracy We expect political democracy, argues Peter Tatchell, so why not economic democracy too?
Council housing shouldn’t just be for the poor Martin Wicks, Secretary of Swindon Tenants Campaign Group, tells us why we must defend 'secure tenancies' for council tenants and resist means-tested council housing
Interested in joining our editorial collective? We're looking for a new voluntary co-editor to join Hilary, Michael, Emma and James in leading the Red Pepper project
Laurie Penny speaks on women and protest In a public talk last night Laurie Penny argued that anger over sexism is mounting, the left is struggling to respond and there's more to feminist history than the Suffragettes. Jenny Nelson reports.
A Rubicon too far Natalie Fenton on why Cameron is scared of implementing Leveson's recommendations.
Conference: Latin America 2012 Get the latest on recent social and economic developments in the continent on Saturday 1 December, at the Latin America 2012 Conference
Protest in solidarity with Palestine Join the protest against Israel's attacks on Gaza and the occupation
February 15, 2003: The day the world said no to war Phyllis Bennis argues that while the day of mass protest did not stop the war, it did change history
Egypt: The revolution is alive Just before the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution, Emma Hughes spoke to Ola Shahba, an activist who has spent 15 years organising in Egypt
Workfare: a policy on the brink Warren Clark explains how the success of the campaign against workfare has put the policy’s future in doubt
Tenant troubles The past year has seen the beginnings of a vibrant private tenants’ movement emerging. Christine Haigh reports
Co-operating with cuts in Lambeth Isabelle Koksal reports on how Lambeth’s ‘co-operative council’ is riding roughshod over co-operative principles in its drive for sell-offs and cuts in local services
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