Why do political elites apply austerity measures that are

 Socially destructive. These are the greatest social regressions since the war, and even the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has recently referred to this austerity as a threat against Social Rights and democracy.

 Economically absurd. Austerity increases deficits and debt, and it destroys the productive apparatus, without even offering a way to emerge from the crisis.

 Democratically suicidal. On the one hand, through the authoritarian actions of the Troika that put several countries in a post-democratic “austheritarian” situation and, on the other hand, because austerity encourages fascist and xenophobic parties.

Is it because of incompetence? No! Many things can be said against the political leaders of Europe, but they aren’t stupid. Some of them probably look for solutions, but just can’t find alternatives inside of the neoliberal framework of EU – and don’t want to change it neither. But for other leaders, openly neoliberal, the issue is to seize the opportunity of the crisis in order to complete the neoliberal revolution (“never waste a good crisis”). Therefore, we are in an unprecedented situation, which requires new answers at European level as well as above secondary divisions – the radicalization of the fundamental contradiction between capital and labour, between the interests of the 1% and those of the 99%, confronts us with a historic task.

Continue reading →