Brussels, 15/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 14 November in more than 20 European countries, hundreds of thousands of people mobilised to express their anger and helplessness in the face of the austerity policies of their government. The call of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) was heard from Paris to Warsaw to Berlin. Yet it is Southern Europe, with Spain in the lead, which saw the biggest gatherings. Large processions moved through the streets of Madrid, and also around the Coliseum in Rome and the mouth of the Portuguese River Tagus in Lisbon. In the ETUC's opinion this bears witness to a “very strong mobilisation” which in total brought together “about 50 organisations from 28 countries”, it told EUROPE on Thursday 15 November.
Spain. For this second general strike that Spain has seen in barely 12 months, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered in all the Spanish regions. While their grievances are many and various - protestation against austerity plans, banks and evictions from over-indebted properties, poverty - they can be reflected, at least in part, in two figures - 25.8% and 0.3%. The first is quite simply the record among the EU27 for the rate of unemployment, while the second - which has only just been announced - corresponds to the contraction in real terms of Spanish GDP for the third quarter of 2012. This is the fourth consecutive quarter that the economy has contracted. According to figures quoted by the Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo, more than 9 million workers took part in the strike - while the different processions of demonstrators brought together around 800,000 people. In the view of the Spanish unions, this day of mobilisation was a success - in particular because it was better supported than the previous one. The success, however, was marred by a few overflows that provoked violent confrontations with the police and the arrest of over a hundred people.
Portugal. As in Spain, the mobilisation in Portugal was very large. The unemployment rate in Portugal is relatively weak compared with its Spanish neighbour, but it has clearly grown this year - from 13.1% to 15.7%. Under the banner of an “Iberian strike”, the main Portuguese union (CGTP) wanted to show solidarity with Spain. “This first Iberian strike is a strong signal of discontent and a warning to the European authorities”, said the secretary general of the CGTP, Armenio Carlos, before hailing the paralysis of the Lisbon metro and the “almost total blockage in road transport”, AFP reports (our translation).
Italy. At the call of the biggest Italian union (CGIL), a general four hour strike took place in the biggest towns in Italy. The mobilisation does not seem to have been as great as in Spain and Portugal, but the employment market in Italy also fares much better with 10.8% of the active population unemployed - which is less than the eurozone average. The Italian press speaks of tens of thousands of people in 87 towns. In Rome, around 60,000 people demonstrated. Milan, Turin and Rome saw confrontations during the day and evening. Processions of secondary school pupils and students sometimes conducted real and well-ordered battles against the anti-riot police.
Greece. With a GDP that has fallen by over 7% in a year and constantly growing unemployment (25.1%), Greece no longer counts the number of demonstrations and strikes which take place there. For this “European day” of union action, the main public and private sector unions organised a general four hour work stoppage. Processions of several thousand people, in the view of the Greek media, formed in front of the parliament in Athens.
Brussels. The capital of Belgium was also stirred by movements of solidarity with Southern Europe. Nonetheless, it is mostly through symbolic actions that the protest was expressed against austerity measures that are considered “suicidal” - as the secretary general of the FGTB, Anne Demelenne, put it, the news agency Belga states. Union representatives therefore threw eggs at the ambassador for Germany. Elsewhere, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso was awarded with the “Nobel Austerity Prize” at a meeting with an ETUC delegation. In response to this day, the Commission is calling for patience from the people affected by the crisis. “These are very difficult times for people (…) but we must clean up the financial sector, regain control of public finances and make growth-boosting economic reforms”, a Commission spokesperson told EUROPE. “These reforms may lead to a short term contraction of growth but ", he assured. (JK/transl.fl)