We should not get trapped in deadlocks by Andros Kyprianou , General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL
For about six months our people are living the consequences of the decisions President Anastasiades took together with the Troika. Six months during which Cyprus has been plunged into a credit crunch and mass unemployment. Six months in which working people are feeling the attacks on their income growing stronger, trying desperately to make ends meet today as a result of the taxes being imposed and worrying over the uncertain future.
In the end the pompous election support Mrs. Merkel and the whole of the European Peoples Party EPP expressed towards Mr. Anastasiades was compensated by satisfying all the demands of the lenders. Why? The answer lies in the ideological and political outlook of Mr. Anastasiades and the Democratic Rally DISY party which either identifies itself with or fails to stand up and combat the Troika’s demands. This is in line with their consistent philosophical belief that everything coming from Brussels must basically be accepted. This is a philosophy that is part of the Right’s broader attitude which is reflected on every issue.
This is the essence of the difference in AKEL´s approach. Before we decide about decisions, demands and Directives we first and foremost analyze what they mean, namely what consequences they will have on the country, the people and youth, small and middle businessmen, on the working class.
Several statistics published by Eurostat itself prove that the policies being implemented, which today the ruling class declare their blind subordination to, are causing and exacerbating misery, despite the wishful thinking and empty declarations, both in the European Union and Cyprus .
23% of young people in the EU are unemployed. 26.5 million of our fellow human beings are unemployed, victims of these policies. Cyprus has the fourth highest unemployment rate in the EU. Unemployment has risen to 17.3 % of the economically active population of our country.
The Gross Domestic Product in the Euro zone has fallen in mid-2013 by 0.7 %, an indication that the development that was promised is not visible, despite working people’s sacrifices.
At the same time, on 30th July 2013, Eurostat published figures showing that the profits of non-financial corporations inside the Eurozone fell only slightly during the crisis, that is to say from 38.5 % to just 38%. The same also applies for the EU as a whole, the percentage falling slightly, to around 37%. The giant corporations and monopolies continue, despite the crisis, to make profits, taking advantage precisely of their dominant position and the closure of small businesses, as well as of the attack on working people’s wages and rights. Consumers and workers continue to pay the cost of the crisis and its consequences. This is where the policies the European Union are leading us; policies which are obediently being implemented, but also propagated by the Democratic Rally party and the Government.
The people, whose rights are under attack, should make a serious reflection. Will we overcome the deepening deadlock if we are following the same policies – or will we chart our own path forward?
