Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-09-15-Speech-2-156"
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"en.20090915.18.2-156"2
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"Mr President, Mr Barroso, ladies and gentlemen, you represent the continuity of a policy, Mr Barroso, which has contributed to the greatest economic crisis in post-war history. While the casinos in the major financial centres are reopening, the citizens of the world are footing the bill. The consequences of the crisis are unemployment, poverty, lower incomes and less education. You maintain that the financial crisis came primarily from the US and that it was only the bankers who caused the collapse. We say that the political system, including the policies of the EU Commission, was responsible for promoting casino capitalism. The ideology of liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation has led to the crisis. Continuing as we have done in the past will result in an even more serious crisis.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us elect a Commission together which sets itself the objective of a social, peaceful, economically sustainable and democratic European Union. If we want to gain acceptance among the people of Europe for the EU project, we need a break with radical free-market concepts and more direct democracy. In this case, Mr Barroso is the wrong man for the job of president.
The political system must take responsibility, learn from its mistakes and give up its neo-liberal ideals. European policy must focus consistently on the interests of the people of Europe. I cannot identify a focus of this kind in your guidelines. However, I am pleased that in your remarks today, social issues were given greater importance than was the case a year ago.
I would like to illustrate our political disagreement using some examples. You want to adhere to the Lisbon strategy. However, the people of Europe need good jobs at wages which will allow them to live with dignity. We need to put on the agenda a reduction and not an extension of working hours.
We expect the new Commission to restructure the Posting of Workers Directive. Europe must finally give a guarantee that social rights will not be sacrificed to the competitive approach. For this reason, we have proposed, together with some others, a legally binding clause on social progress and a charter of public services, which will give precedence to social security and services of general interest over internal market regulations. From what you have said, I understand that you do not think much of this.
In the Zimmermann report, the European Parliament calls for a minimum wage of at least 60% of the average income in all Member States. You maintain that you can do nothing about this. I think that you could, for example, by means of the employment policy guidelines.
You are focusing solely on the Stability and Growth Pact which has proved to be an ineffective tool, in particular, during the crisis. We want a social pact to replace the Lisbon strategy and the Stability Pact.
You believe that a few new financial supervision regulations will keep the greed of the financial world in check. We are calling for a ban on particularly risky forms of investment and a tax on capital movements.
You, and I quote, ‘support every paragraph of the Treaty of Lisbon’. We want a social Europe instead of a continuation of the radical focus on the internal market. We want a commitment to disarmament and civil conflict management instead of the continuing growth in military capability.
You see Europe as a leading power and we want to spread the ideology of free trade and marketisation of all areas of life throughout the world. We stand for intercultural, multilateral dialogue and the greatest possible support for developing countries in overcoming the economic, food, financial and climate crisis."@en1
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