Paul Murphy MEP attacks President Barroso on the failure of the austerity policies that he has promoted across Europe.
Austerity policies are undermining the basis of society in many countries as people’s living standards are destroyed. The result of these policies is that unemployment is at the highest level since the foundation of the Euro. The austerity policies contained in the Austerity Treaty will mean a further €166billion euro worth of cuts and tax rises across Europe. President Barroso failed to reply to any of the questions raised.
Paul’s speech:
"Mr. Barroso – The gulf between your rhetoric and the policies your Commission is implementing that the entire European economy may yet fall into it.
You talk about solidarity, but with the Troika, you impose policies which threaten the very basis of society in Ireland, Greece and Portugal.
You talk about jobs, but because of your policies we have the highest level of unemployment since the introduction of the euro with 25 million people unemployed across the EU.
You talk about sustainable growth, but the austerity policies you want to institutionalise with the Austerity Treaty will turn the recession into a deep depression.
Can I ask you a few questions that I think the people of Ireland who will vote on this Treaty in 6 weeks time, deserve an answer to?
Are you aware that according to the Commission, in 2013, 18 out of the 25 countries will have structural deficits greater than that allowed by the Treaty?
Are you aware that meeting those targets will mean over 166 billion worth of cuts and extra taxes across Europe?
How can you talk about growth when imposing this level of austerity simultaneously across Europe. If implemented, your Austerity Treaty will turn Europe into an economic waste ground.
Economist Paul Krugman was right when he wrote yesterday about "the apparent determination of European leaders to commit economic suicide for the continent as a whole."
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