Geert Lovink on Mon, 23 Jun 1997 16:32:51 +0200 (MET DST) |
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<nettime> euro protests - last report part I |
A delayed, last report from Amsterdam, part I About the protests against the Euro Summit See also http://www.contrast.org/eurostop Press release Amsterdam, June 17th 1997 Alternative Summit presents Declaration of Amsterdam Call not to ratify the undemocratic Treaty of Amsterdam While on the Frederiksplein the heads of state and governments move on with finalising the internal market and the introduction of the euro, the Alternative Summit has presented its Alternative Declaration of Amsterdam. This declaration is the reply to the onesided policies of the European Union and its shortsighted focus on economic and monetary policies. During the Alternative Summit a changing group of well above 500 international participants have taken part in workshops and debates about a different Europe than the one currently shaped by the European Union governments. In the Alternative Declaration of Amsterdam this different Europe is outlined. Appeal for a social, sustainable and democratic Europe A first point of critique concerns the undemocratic procedure which has lead to the Treaty of Amsterdam. Certainly in The Netherlands there has been no serious debate about the future of Europe. The process has not sufficiently involved the citizens and cannot be considered democratic. The Treaty of Amsterdam does not repair the democratic gap in the EU. The introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union has far reaching social impacts. To reach the EMU criteria, social expenditure is cut dramatically. The 20 million unemployed and 50 million people in Europe living in poverty pay the price for the euro. The Treaty of Amsterdam lacks commitments in the direction of changing course towards a sustainable economy. There is insufficient intiatives to realise strong joint environmental policies. The Dutch presidency has not fullfilled its obligation on this area. The declaration of the Alternative Summit calls the European and national parliaments to reject the Amsterdam Treaty as long as the basic principles of democracy have not been fullfilled. Movements in every country of the EU will start campaigning for this joint demand. Agenda for Action The declaration of the Alternative Summit ends with an agenda of joint action agreed on by NGOs from all over Europe present at the Alternative Summit. The plans, for the next six months and beyond, focus on a stronger cooperation between NGOs working for a different Europe, including mobilisation for a week of action in early December. Platform naar een Ander Europa /Dutch Coalition for a Different Europe, Amsterdam e-mail: ander.europa@xs4all.nl ------------- More steps to go Towards a different Europe Alternative Summit in Amsterdam 17 June 1997 Everything indicates the European Council of Amsterdam will be a failure. The promises the heads of states and governments made us after 'Maastricht' have not been kept. This Council will resolve neither the democratic crisis, nor the social crisis. The inhabitants of Europe are now facing a fundamental choice: continue on the current path or change course? 1. Our continent is facing great social and ecological problems that need to be dealt with internationally. This European Union, built on 'Maastricht', on the big summits of heads of states and governments, and on centralized bureaucratic bodies, did not meet the challenge. After the signing of the Maastricht treaty the European Union has increasingly shifted power from the national parliaments to the heads of states and governments, and shifted power from the political sphere to the market. Western Europe is being turned into a centralised political and strengthened military power, allowing large Europe-based corporations to increase profits, competiveness and market-shares worldwide. This European Union has become a driving force of globalisation and promotor of neoliberalism. It has become an elite-driven project, undemocratic and irresponsive to the needs of people and nature. It offers but an uncertain future for women, for the citizens of non-EU countries that come here, for the next generations, for the elderly and for the 20 million unemployed and 50 million people living in poverty in the 15 member states. Only de European inhabitants can build Europe, support it and live in it. A European House that does not meet the wishes and values of its population has no raison d'=EAtre. The supporters of this European Union say there is no other option. Anyone opposing this EU are portrayed as reactionary nationalists. Nothing is less true, because there is a third option: cooperation for a different, democratic, social, peaceful, solidary, ecological and feminist Europe. From June 12 - 17 we, the undersigned, and more than thousand women and men gathered at the Alternative Summit Towards a Different Europe to look for alternatives. On June 14th more than 50 000 people from all EU member states demonstrated in Amsterdam against unemployment, insecurity and social exclusion. Together we can mobilise for a Europe that eradicates unemployment, takes social and ecological concerns seriously, creates equal opportunities for men and women and is open and hospitable to immigrants and refugees. We can create a Europe that breaks with its shameful colonial past and becomes a peaceful, disarmed force for a world of cooperation, sharing and solidarity. We call upon all inhabitants of Western and Eastern Europe to join hands for a change. For a cooperation based on democratic participation of all inhabitants of Europe, and a public debate on our social priorities. Therefor we say: Halt to this EU. Give Europe a new chance. 2. Work Today 20 million inhabitants of the European Union are unemployed, according to official figures. We face a huge challenge to generate paid labour for those who want it. In 1985, the EU promised us 5 million new jobs. Unemployement has doubled since. In order to enter the Economic and Monetary Union and join the European currency governments are fixated on the convergence criteria of Maastricht. All over Europe this leads to enormous cuts in public services. This creates unemployment. The Dublin Stability Pact will result in even more cuts and will reduce the possibilities of member states to effectively stimulate employment. The EU seeks to reduce unemployment through 'flexibility' of the labour markets. That means: weaker protection of workers' rights, insecure and temporary jobs, and reduced rights to organise, negotiate and act collectively. The first victims are women, as workers, or as people looking for employment. Some in the EU propose to lower unemployment by promoting large, capital intensive infra-structure projects. These projects provide only few, temporary, and often environmentally very damaging jobs in the short term. They provide no real answer to Europe's needs. Quite the contrary: projects like the Trans-European Networks promote long distance trade and therefor break down local economies, and costs jobs. The current policy in many countries to force the unemployed to work or study for minimal benefits and social rights is proof of the lack of respect of the victims of these wrong policies. We deman --- # distributed via nettime-l : no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a closed moderated mailinglist for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: majordomo@icf.de and "info nettime" in the msg body # URL: http://www.desk.nl/~nettime/ contact: nettime-owner@icf.de