Brussels, 21/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 21 February, European left-wing figures - forming a united platform against what they called the disastrous results of Conservative governments - pressed for a European Socialist alternative.
In the appeal published on Tuesday and signed by Socialist, Social Democrats and Labour members, signatories write that the management of the sovereign debt crisis by the Conservatives over the last two years has been a disheartening saga of political chaos and economic incompetence. Slamming what they call the erroneous miracle cures dating back to the twenties, they state their conviction that European citizens deserve more than the worrying prospects promised by the Conservatives in power, and the catastrophic results obtained. A credible answer to this can only be given if the Left is able to provide a coherent package of alternative proposals to address the crisis, and develop a joint platform for the future.
This should, they say, include ten components to: - include in the EU treaty a series of rights and fundamental social objectives with the same surveillance and implementation instruments as those existing for ensuring economic freedoms; - recognise the European Central Bank's right to buy up state bonds when the currency is under threat; - increase the European budget as a priority in order to promote innovative technology, finance social investment and infrastructure investment, and sustainable development; - strengthen EU own resources by levying taxes on energy, - impose a tax on financial transactions in particular to support SME employment; - support European investment through “project bonds” issued by the Union and guaranteed by the ECB for the new green economy (it also being necessary to speed up the new infrastructure projects with more flexible programming rules so that jobs can be created more rapidly and the excessive dependency on fossil fuels and nuclear power can be reduced, in connection with the launching of an Energy Community comprising a guaranteed mutual support clause in the event of third country threats on the EU's energy supply); - combat social and environmental dumping, with taxes on third country imports that do not comply with European environmental standards; - and strengthen European democracy (member states must appoint the Commission president according to the results of the European elections; commissioners must be accountable to Parliament, which should not only confirm them at their posts but also have the power to dismiss them, and there must be European action to strengthen freedom of the press, beginning with the dismantlement of media monopolies).
Signatories are: Panagiotis Beglitis, former Defence Minister, Deputy and spokesman of the Pasok (Pasok, Greece); Josep Borrell Fontelles, President of the European University Institute and former President of the European Parliament (PSC/PSOE, Spain); Victor Bostinaru, MEP (PSD, Romania); Udo Bullmann, MEP (SPD, Germany); Sergio Cofferati, MEP (PD, Italy); Véronique de Keyser, MEP (PS, Belgium); Proinsias de Rossa, former Social Affairs Minister (Labour, Ireland); Harlem Désir, MEP, National Secretary of the Socialist Party (PS, France); Leonardo Domenici, MEP (PD, Italy); Glyn Ford, former MEP (Labour, UK); Evelyne Gebhardt, MEP (SPD, Germany); Ana Gomes, MEP (PS, Portugal); Enrique Guerrero Salom, MEP (PSOE, Spain); Elisabeth Guigou, MEP (PS, France); Zita Gurmai, MEP, President of PSE Femmes (MSZP, Hungary); Jo Leinen, MEP (SPD, Germany); David Martin, MEP (Labour, UK); Marianne Mikko, MP at Estonian parliament (SDE, Estonia); John Monks, Member of the House of Lords and former ETUC General Secretary (Labour, UK); Leire Pajin Iraola, MP at the Spanish Congress (PSOE, Spain); Gianni Pittella, Vice-President of the European Parliament (PD, Italy); Sir Julian Priestley, former Secretary General of the European Parliament (Labour, UK); Libor Roucek, MEP (CSSD, Czech Republic); Hannes Swoboda, MEP, President of S&D Group at the European Parliament (SPÖ, Austria); Kathleen Van Brempt, MEP (SPA, Belgium); Kristian Vigenin, MEP (BSP, Bulgaria); and Henri Weber, MEP (PS, France). (LC/transl.jl)