To mark the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, dozens of Spanish organisations have decided to unite to express their condemnation, once again, of the capitalist and neoliberal project which the EU represents. These organisations are coordinated with others in the rest of the European Union and Latin America.
The EU has shown itself to be an antidemocratic institutional framework serving the interests of multinationals and member state elite organisations. We can use as an example of this the economic guidance which goes against the basic social rights of the Lisbon Treaty, passed without consulting the European citizens (except in Ireland, since it is required by law).
To serve the aforementioned interests, the EU has not hesitated in lowering working conditions and facilitating layoffs and the destruction of employment, as the “flexicurity” doctrine demonstrates. It also defends, using all its diplomatic machinery, the abusive commercial and business strategies of European companies in Southern Hemisphere countries. The signatory organisations reject the pressures to which the EU is submitting third party countries so they sign the commercial treaties, the wrongly labelled “Association Agreements”. They are a form of “neocolonialism” and plundering, both of the natural resources and the inhabitants in the Southern Hemisphere.
In parallel to this support explicit to the interest of the elite organisations, there is a premeditated lack of protection regarding European citizens. The signatory organisations condemn, once again, the dismantling and privatisation of public services promoted by the European Commission. Public services should not be businesses, but the basic rights of the people.
The EU policy on borders is also reprehensible. With different directives approved the EU is trying to be made into a fortress where money and property can be moved around freely, whilst people migrating are faced with barriers which violate their human rights. We would like to state our particular condemnation of the Return Directive, renamed “Shame Directive”.
The EU’s environmental discourse is worthless and has no effect, or hardly any effect, when taking concrete measures. Once more, the benefits of capital are above the countries’, people’s and the rest of living being’s rights.
Since it is a structure created to strengthen the capitalist economies and to improve competiveness, as reflected in the “Global Europe: Competing in the World” strategy or the “Bolkestein Directive”, all the European policies regarding transport, agriculture, finance, education, etc., are overruled by the economic objective which results in a greater plundering of the environment. We condemn the EU as being socially and environmentally unsustainable.
The signatory organisations believe in solidarity between countries, between the different battles and between people. Therefore, throughout the Spanish presidency’s term in the EU we will organise various meetings and actions to analyse the EU, condemn the structural injustice it entails and create alternatives.
ACTIONS
Highlighted in the responses to various events organized by the Presidency are:
15th – 16th of January. Alternative Forum to the meeting of energy and environmental ministers in Seville.
27th – 28th of January. Alternative Forum to the meeting on employment in Barcelona.
17th – 19th of May. Events in parallel with the meeting between the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean described below.
25th of May. Demonstrations against the presence of EU and US troops in Afghanistan coinciding with the EU-US summit in Madrid.
30th of May to 1st of June. Demonstrations focused on the CAP reform and against genetically modified organisms in parallel with the meeting of agriculture ministers in Mérida.
6th – 7th of June. Alternative Forum and demonstrations regarding the Euro-mediterranean Region meeting.
Date to be confirmed. Demonstrations focused on the right to self-determination of the Sahara coinciding with the EU-Morocco summit in Granada.
DEMONSTRATIONS IN MADRID
A wide range of responses which will bring together thousands of people and hundreds of activists from Latin America and from the rest of the EU are being organised in Madrid, through the networks “Enlazando Alternativas” and “Contra la Europa del capital y la guerra, y sus crisis. Por la solidaridad entre ellos pueblos”.
The calendar of activities is as follows:
14th of May. Arrival in Madrid of the marches against unemployment and exclusion. Start of the Permanent People’s Tribunal which will rule on the actions of European multinationals in Latin America and the Caribbean and the co-responsibility of the EU.
15th of May. Permanent People’s Tribunal. Alternative Forum to the official meeting.
16th of May. Demonstrations in favour of solidarity between countries. Assembly of EU, Latin American and Caribbean Social Movements.
17th – 19th of May. Direct pacific actions focused on the official Summit.
FIRST ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
ACSUR-Las Segovias, ATTAC, Àgora Nord Sud, Amigos de la Tierra, Asamblea Antimilitarista de Madrid, Baladre, Campaña UE pa’qué?, Campaña ¿Quién debe a quién?, CEAR, CEDSALA, CGT, COIN, Colectivo de Jóvenes Comunistas, Colectivo Patio Maravillas, Confederación Intersindical, Cooperacció, Cristianos de Base, Ecologistas en Acción/Ekologistak Martxan/Ben Magec, Enginyeria Sense Fronteres, En Lucha, Entrepobles/Entrepueblos, Fundación CEPS, Fundación Contamíname para el Mestizaje Cultural, Fundación Hijos del Maíz, Iepala, Izquierda Anticapitalista, Izquierda Unida/Jóvenes de Izquierda Unida – CM, Komité Apoyo MST, La Promotora red de profesores de la UCM, Lliga dels Drets dels Pobles, Medicus Mundi Catalunya, Mundubat, Observatorio de la Deuda en la Globalización, OMAL – Paz con Dignidad, Ospaaal-solidaridad, Partido Comunista, PCPE, Partido Humanista, Plataforma Rural, Red Solidaria Ítaca, SETEM/SETEM-Catalunya, Verdegaia, Veterinaris sense Fronteres/Veterinarios sin Fronteras.
