AKEL on ECON visit to Cyprus
Statement of Stavros Evagorou, Deputy Parliamentary Spokesman of AKEL
A delegation of members from the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) of the European Parliament is visiting Cyprus. In its various contacts the rapporteurs of the European Parliament are in essence focusing on the issue of legitimising the Troika and their mission is to prepare a Report on “The operation of the Troika”.
Concerning the purely procedural or institutional aspect, we agree with certain points and add at the same that:
1. The establishment of the Troika was made without any clear and transparent legal basis.
2. The controls that will ensure the legitimisation of the Troika on a European and national level are absent.
3. The IMF as an international financial institution is not legitimised to participate in EU bodies, whether institutional or not. Even more so when the IMF is perhaps playing the most decisive role in the incorporation of the most severe and extreme measures into the Adjustment Programmes.
4. As AKEL we agree and underline the assessment that the Adjustment Programmes imposed on the four member-states (Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and Ireland) have so far been a failure.
5. For AKEL, the most essential is not in what way and with which decisions the Troika will be legitimised and to what degree it will be accountable to the European Parliament, without however ignoring this aspect.
What is most important for the peoples of Europe and the workers is in our opinion to put an end to the neo-liberal philosophy and cruel anti-peoples austerity measures which the Troika is imposing on member-states.
In truth, how is the in essence surrender of national sovereignty legitimised in the exercise of economic policy by a body devoid of legality such as the Troika?
How is it legitimate for the Troika to impose (by way of experimenting) unprecedented tough measures such as the “haircut” on the bank deposits and the deletion of assets in flagrant violation of fundamental provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus which safeguard the right to property?
Is it legitimate for such a non-institutional body indeed such as the Troika to impose such severe measures which led our economy to destruction?
Is it legitimate for the same body to impose, apart from the haircut on bank deposits and the destruction of the banking system both severe anti-peoples austerity measures, which restrict growth and development, lead to unprecedented recession, unemployment, destitution and poverty?
For AKEL it is unthinkable that because of the big banking hole and criminal behaviour of some bank executives the Cypriot people is being punished and led to impoverishment, together of course with other peoples of Europe.
As AKEL we are fighting against the Memorandum, its philosophy and practises and demand the disengagement from it.
The challenge for us is not the legitimisation of the Troika or the control by a more democratic institution such as the European Parliament.
This is not enough and sufficient. What is needed is the adoption of European policies for economic assistance, support and social solidarity, aiming at growth and development and social cohesion and of course far from the Troika neo-liberal practices and policies of austerity, recession, unemployment and social misery.
