In the last two years the ruling classes – economic and political – have transformed the EU in order to respond to the financial, economic, and social crisis. The neoliberal response has been the same throughout the EU: fiscal consolidation, austerity measures, the so-called structural reforms to destroy the national collective contracts by substituting them
In the last two years the ruling classes – economic and political – have transformed the EU in order to respond to the financial, economic, and social crisis.
The neoliberal response has been the same throughout the EU: fiscal consolidation, austerity measures, the so-called structural reforms to destroy the national collective contracts by substituting them with the enterprise and local contracts, workers’ flexibility and the destruction of social rights (pensions, health care, education) through the liberalization and privatization of the public services and the commons.
Without modifying the Treaties, without discussion in the European and national parliaments, without a public debate, the EU already-existing organs have been transformed, and new ones created, through jurisdictions not foreseen in the Treaties. Step by step, according to the old functionalist model, the powers of European governments (through the European Council), of the EBC and the technocracy have been rendered increasingly pervasive. The result is that the market consensus substitutes that of the citizens.
The European Semester, the Euro Plus Pact, the Six pack, the Fiscal Compact have been the most important steps to forge a European economic governance, which grants the political supremacy of the markets.
All these moves do not represent the old question of the democratic deficit, anymore, they represent the flight from democracy.
A network of governments, technocracies, financial and economic powers, central bankers constitutes a European oligarchy which is accountable only to the markets. Now the ruling classes want to forge institutions which will manage the fiscal policy and the Bank Union in order to better respond to the demands of the markets.
The EU is now a market society with an economic constitution, which has overturned the principles of 20th-century constitutional charters.
The introduction of the balance budget in the Constitutions of the Member States – as written in the Fiscal Compact – is the climax of the victory of neoliberalism, the construction of a European juridical order of the market.
‘Brussels’ and ‘Frankfurt’ have become the centres of power, a circuit of institutions in the service of markets, from which democracy has been expelled.
The European societies, notwithstanding important struggles (from Spain to Greece), have not been able to respond and to mobilize around the most important issue: democracy, which is the necessary condition to fight the neoliberal policies so as to implement social and economic alternatives.
Florence 10+10 can be a good occasion to discuss how to try to overcome our great difficulties in fighting against the EU antidemocratic evolution, and to try to forge European alliances and coalitions able to organize campaigns to build a democratic Europe.
We propose to use Florence 10+10 to hold seminars and an assembly focused on ‘Europe and democracy’.
We wish to have your opinion on these proposals, and your availability to organize together these activities.
Thank you for your attention.
Best regards
Roberto Musacchio, Franco Russo