Archivo de la categoría: News

Comunicado de solidaridad de la Plataforma Auditoría Ciudadana de la Deuda (PACD) con el comité de la verdad sobre la deuda en Grecia

La Plataforma Auditoría Ciudadana de la Deuda del Estado español (PACD) quiere dar su más firme apoyo al lanzamiento de la auditoría de la deuda griega, un largo proceso que tiene como misión identificar la parte ilegal, ilegítima, odiosa o insostenible de la misma. La comisión de auditoría cuenta con un nutrido grupo de activistas y expertos griegos y con la participación activa de la PACD a través de nuestro compañero Sergi Cutillas, también miembro del Observatorio de la Deuda de la Globalización (ODG) y coautor del libro ‘Por qué no debemos pagar la Deuda’. Este proceso contará con la presencia de movimientos sociales a través de algunos de sus representantes: Maria Lucia Fattorelli, que participó en el comité de auditoría de la deuda de Ecuador y coordinadora nacional de la Auditoría Ciudadana de la Deuda en Brasil (Auditoria Cidadã da Dívida); Olivier Bonfond, economista miembro de la Auditoría Ciudadana de la Deuda en Bélgica (AciDE); Michel Husson (del consejo científico de ATTAC Francia) y Patrick Saurin (sindicato SUD BPCE y CADTM Francia), ambos miembros del Colectivo francés para una Auditoría Ciudadana de la deuda pública. Destacamos también la participación de Cephas Lumina, antiguo ponente especial de las Naciones Unidas sobre los efectos de la deuda en el ejercicio de los Derechos Humanos y de Margot Salomon, directora del centro jurídico de la London School of Economics así como muchos otros expertos, economistas, politólogos o juristas. Esa comisión será coordinada por Eric Toussaint, portavoz del CADTM internacional.

Este 4 de abril de 2015 ha sido un día histórico para los movimientos sociales que luchan por una justicia a favor de los pueblos y en contra del pago de una deuda ilegítima que nos somete: la presidenta del Parlamento en Grecia, Zoe Konstanstopoulou, abrió la sesión inaugural del comité de auditoría de la deuda, llamado también Comité de la verdad sobre la deuda, que contó con la presencia del presidente la República, Prokopis Pavlopoulos y del primer ministro Alexis Tsipras. La presencia en esa convocatoria de una decena de ministros del nuevo gobierno griego es de especial relevancia, dado que aseguraron que sus ministerios aportarían un apoyo activo al trabajo de auditoría. Sigue leyendo →

@TheTroikaParty project. Looking at how the Troika threatens democracy

Troika? Never heard of it? Don’t worry! You will learn first hand when one unforgettable day the three inseparable friends (IMF, ECB & EC) visit your beautiful country, not for tourism but for a bailout! What? You are not in need of a bailout? That doesn’t matter, Troika offers its bailout policies at a competitive price. Besides, nobody asked you!

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Many people are unaware of the strong role the Troika plays in the EU policies; mainly with regard to the countries in the South and East of Europe but with growing influence also in the North. With the May 2014 European Parliament elections getting closer, the Troika Party campaign is conceived as a tool that aims at raising awarenessin citizens but also at dismantling the current neoliberal narrative and unpack the role of the Troika in European decision making. There is not a focus on who to vote or not voting; we aim at people rethinking the concept of Europe and democracy. Sigue leyendo →

3rd Newsletter from TroikaWatch

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Similar to the last few months, the European context is characterized by governments doing window dressing, while the situation for more and more people gets worse. After Ireland, Portugal is likeliest to be the second country to leave the umbrella of the Troika, in May. However, this is unlikely to better the living conditions for the people there, because austerity will continue for years and whether the level of debt can really get reduced without considerable debt relief is more than questionable.

In this newsletter you can read about: 

Overall situation, European level, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, From our side

Read the Newsletter: http://www.troikawatch.net/3rd-newsletter-from-troikawatch/

 

A European Square

 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zd4q0R1VP8[/youtube]

European Social Movements Strategy Meeting – Amsterdam. (See Storify)

Coming from all over Europe, 60 organizations and networks [see complete list below] from well-established groups with a long history to the most recent social movements, gathered over three days in Amsterdam to share stories of successful resistance and to shape common campaigns and strategies.

There was a strong commitment to apply the lessons learnt during the recent camps and occupations. The proposed agenda was modified along the lines of a general assembly, where all the participants had their say through an open and horizontal process. Different working groups were created to further develop the topics that were considered most important for the months to come: Democracy and the Commons, Troika and Debt, the Competitiveness Pact, and the European elections.

As a result, four different initiatives were jointly developed at the end of the strategy meeting: Sigue leyendo →

1st newsletter of Troika Watch

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Source: www.troikawatch.net

Overall situation

The last months of the year are traditionally the time when national parliaments vote on the budgets for next year. Like in the years before, in many countries deep cuts in social services and further privatizations are planned. Despite good-sounding news from and for the financial markets, austerity for ordinary people continues. This might not be by accident.

When this newsletter is sent out, Ireland will be the first country that exits a Troika program. Unfortunately, the difference for the people will not be that big, because austerity continues. The same counts for people in other countries like Spain or Portugal, who want to follow Ireland on this path. Any country that believes it can get out of the crisis by austerity, will have austerity forever.

The current situation is characterized by a Troika that still pushes for even more austerity and by governments that are doing window-dressing by claiming to see a positive development for the times ahead, which will never become reality if the current policy is continued. Neither in the Troika nor in the national governments, talks are about what should really be on stage: a significant debt relief in many countries – not only for the public, but also the private sector -, a restoration of public services and significant investment for facing some of the great challenges of our time, such as climate change and energy shortage. Sigue leyendo →

Meeting on «Economic governance, the Troika and the struggles against European neoliberalism» Amsterdam, October 4th to 6th

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Conclusions of the meeting: http://storify.com/ICANetwork/euincrisis-economic-governance-troika-struggles

 

Activists, organisations and networks addressing the undemocratic neoliberal crisis governance imposed from the EU will be meeting in Amsterdam from October 4th to 6th to discuss together which struggle strategies have and are being most successful in each country, with the aim to build a stronger and more coordinated European movement.

The meeting has been organised by different groups such as Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), Transnational Institute (TNI), ATTAC, Blockupy Frankfurt and the Spanish Platform for a Citizen Debt Audit (PACD) amongst others, and it will take place in Amsterdam’s Conference centre (Lombokstraat 40). Issues such as successful experiences of resistance, coordination of European and national initiatives, common priorities and targets, increasing social awareness and communication strategies will be worked on. Sigue leyendo →

Gina Ekholt: Creditors are also liable for public debts (Epikaira, Greek weekly magazine)

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Fuente: Blog Leonidas Vatikiotis, miembro de ELE Grecia.

 SLUG Norway

New fact on the debt issue, even within Europe, creates the Norwegian Government’s decision to launch on August 15, 2013 official audit on whether the debt that a number of developing countries owe her, is legitimate. The “new” fact that the Norwegian Government introduces concerns the liability of the creditor. Also, it highlights, the moral obligation of the creditor to prove that the debt owed by other governments is indeed legal! This is a big step forward, which if it is applied by other governments, it may mark a radical change in the debt chart within the eurozone. A chart, that as it is now configured, is against the peripheral countries, who have been turn into debt colonies in the benefit of the center countries, who keep draining them. For instance imagine, the consequences of an audit of the debt that Greece owes to Germany, especially when it will examine the compatibility of the two loan agreements with the international law, with which Greece has been tied up, or the possibility of setting off what Greece owes today with the (multiple in value!) amounts that Germany owes to Greece since the Second World War. Indisputably, the move of Norway makes it difficult for Germany and the other countries who have loaned Greece to save their banks. It also gives new support to the countries that face debt crisis, to request debt audit, as a means to cancel part or even all of the public debt. Sigue leyendo →