Published Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 23:04
by
carl0s 
in Debate (552 views and 0 comments)
We face economic
challenges not seen for generations.
This is the time when we must state the case for socialism.
We have a clear decision. We can stand by, and leave the public to pick up the pieces afterwards, in what could be the worst recession since the 1930s.
Or we provide a clear alternative. And here are 5 points for discussion:
- establishment of fixed exchange rates with any fluctuations subject to 95% Tobin tax
- a massive public works program based on harnessing renewable energy sources and transport, bringing existing African-based solar projects forward
- all bank interest rates determined by the ECB or national bank
- bank statutes to contain elected representation and to represent all stakeholders
- immediate implementation of emergency anti-poverty programmes across the EU, including social enterprise and community projects, with emphasis on the young and the elderly
and I'm sure we can think of more...
read morePublished Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 11:17
by
Editor
in Debate (771 views and 1 comments)
Avaaz.org - a new global web movement with a mission to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people want – has launched a petition to be delivered to PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen next Tuesday. The petition ‘Global Financial crisis: act now!’ calls on European, US and world leaders to fix the fundamental flaws which made the global financial crisis possible. The petition is being delivered to our PES President because of his work over the last eighteen months on financial market reform, and because the reform package he has steered through the European Parliament will be voted on Tuesday 23 September.
Let’s help make this timely and important initiative a success! Please sign the petition and forward it to you friends.
For more on the PES’ work financial market reform, please follow the link .
Hear what progressives – talking to Yourspace – see as the cause and solution of the financial crisis.
read morePublished Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 16:22
by
carl0s
in Debate (654 views and 1 comments)
Current events illustrate systemic and institutional problems with how the world economy is organised. As European socialists, we form the single biggest opposition to a re-run of the Great Depression. We're already backing comprehensive healthcare and social security. We support trades unions in their attempts to protect negotiating rights and stop a dash to the bottom of the wage ladder. Most of all we will try to prevent a wave of repossessions from throwing families onto the street.
But what can we do about the financial markets - how can we ensure stability in the economy? Or are we resigned to cycles of mad speculation? How should we ensure that banking is for the benefit of all, rather than speculators?
We know that nationalisation works, as the US and UK governments have opted for this as the last resort for banks on the brink of collapse. Now it's up to us to think about how social ownership can form a platform for future, sustainable banking systems, where leverage is controlled and tightly managed. And most of all, where the promise of a "fast buck" for doing nothing takes second place to the wider requirements of people.
Should the EU itself be the institution which directs the socialisation of banking? Or can it be left to national governments? After all, we are talking about trillions of euros of bad debt cascading through the system. Surely it requires more than one nation state?
Let's not forget what happened...
read morePublished Friday, July 4, 2008 at 10:23
by
franciscopolo
in New Social Europe (927 views and 0 comments)
As you all know the
European Central Bank has its main goal to control the interest
rates, that is to say, the price of money in the eurozone. The
matter is that the Federal Reserve of the United States is
keeping an interest rate much lower than the European ones. While
we are having a 4% interest rate, in the States the interest rate
is around 2%.
This has several consequences but the most important ones are that our companies can’t invest so they can’t become more competitive and that our products become more expensive abroad Europe so our companies become even less competitive.
If we add to all that the fact that oil is having peak prices almost everyday so everything is becoming more expensive for them, the result is easy to see: they are trapped.
In order to face this situation “the European Central Bank should ask itself not only about inflation but also about economic growth”, Mr. Sarkozy said. “You can double interest rates and that will not make go down the price of the Brent barrel”.
This is a position held by Sarko. I wrote about it yesterday in my blog. And then I wondered…
What’s our political response to the economy crisis?
read morePublished Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 11:58
by
aidanosullivan
in In the spotlight (1022 views and 0 comments)
With attempts to
harmonize corporate tax rates being vetoed by states like the UK
and Ireland, the EU Commission wishes to address the tax obstacles
facing companies operating across the Internal Market by
implementing a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB).
The CCCTB would mean reducing the cost of working with 27 different national tax systems as they would be able to compute their aggregate profits to a single set of tax rules. The total EU profit would be then apportioned among the countries where the firm is active.
It has established a Working Group to consider first its technical definition and later details of the profit apportioning mechanism. Commissioner Kovacs had plans to bring forward proposals before the end of 2008, but this is now postponed due to the Lisbon Treaty vote in Ireland. The CCCTB will be optional and the Commission will propose its adoption under the enhanced cooperation mechanism failing unanimous agreement.
The Case for CCCTB
The Commission believes that reform of EU corporate taxation is crucial for achieving the goals of the Lisbon agenda and that an efficient, transparent and simplified tax regime will improve the functioning of the Internal Market. It believes CCCTB will contribute to the international competitiveness...
read morePublished Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 09:34
by
yoan.abiven
in EU in the world (1097 views and 0 comments)
S’inspirer de soixante
années d’expérience de la construction européenne pour avancer un
nécessaire projet d’Union Méditerranéenne est, à première vue, une
idée excellente. Vigilance pourtant au moment de manipuler le
vocabulaire et les méthodes de la success story européenne.
L’Europe des pères fondateurs ne se résume ni à quelque technique
habile, ni à quelques mots magiques, pas plus qu'à des partenariats
économiques tous azimuts. Elle oblige génétiquement à un partage de
souveraineté sur ce qui fait mal. L’Europe politique n’est
pas née seulement et durablement des moyens financiers offerts par
le plan Marshall. Elle s’est imposée dans le sillage d’un geste
politique historique, celui de la déclaration Schuman. Or, cette
initiative allait bien au-delà du champ économique. Il ne
s’agissait pas d’annoncer la restauration du théâtre de Bayreuth
avec des prêts bonifiés ! A cette époque, on voyait plus loin, on
visait plus haut. On confiait à une autorité politique nouvelle ce
qui avait servi à tant faire couler le sang des...
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Published Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 21:11
by
Pierre_Kanuty
in Save our planet (1457 views and 1 comments)
Plus personne
n’ignore l’importance du développement durable. C’est devenu un
aspect désormais incontournable des politiques publiques, de la
production et de la recherche. Fini le temps où l’écologie
n’était la marotte que de quelques chevelus nostalgiques des
années 70. A mesure que l’on avance dans le temps, les effets du
réchauffement climatique, de la raréfaction des ressources se
font sentir de plus en plus.
Cela appelle une révolution culturelle dans la pensée de la gauche et d’ailleurs cela a été engagé depuis quelques temps.
Après le temps de l’indifférence est venu le temps de la réparation. On produit, on consomme, puis on nettoie. A l’évidence, ça ne suffit pas. L’ampleur de la pollution ne vient pas de la seule consommation, mais aussi de la production. D’ailleurs, c’est tout le système économique qui est concerné : la production mobilise les ressources naturelles dans une quantité que la disponibilité des sols ou des sous-sols ne peut suivre et la consommation, à l’autre bout de la chaîne entraîne une pollution que la...
read morePublished Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 10:06
by
yoan.abiven
in New Social Europe (1156 views and 1 comments)
In these
present times of total and globalised capitalism, what socialists
really strive for is to equate prosperity and solidarity anew. In
former times, in XIXth century France, this was called
“solidarisme”. It was only through the Republic and socialism that
France was able to consolidate and give a human face to this new
individualistic order and come up with the first social insurance
systems. It seems to me that we are undergoing a similar transition
today. True, the present context is totally different: we are in
post-modern times where Nation States are fading and we are asking
ourselves the eternal question of the relationship between
individuals and society. To what regulations, what authority could
these free individuals legitimately be accountable? This question
is relevant at all levels: in the family structure, in the company,
in the streets, at university, when paying taxes, etc. As for the
workplace, there is a social-democratic response, namely
flexicurity and this response is based on a clear awareness of the
conditions of the knowledge economy. Is this enough? I am committed
to two things: Europe on the one hand and France on the other. Here
is why.Published Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 14:31
by
yoan.abiven
in New Social Europe (1110 views and 1 comments)
The hopes for a better European future are stalling.
In that context, what are the urgent matters that need dealing
with?
First and foremost, the European Union can measure its legitimacy by its usefulness. In order for Eurosceptics, starting with the French, to think of Europe as indispensable, Europe must become indispensable once again.
In the short term, if Europe wants to be 'desirable' again, it needs to tackle social insecurity. European citizens will renew their vows with the EU once the Union finds a coherent and effective answer to their present rightful claims to a protection of their way of life. This is not just a matter of communication or better explanation of its policies. The European construction suddenly stumbled precisely over the social dimension, at a time in which the century-old pillars of our social welfare were crumbling down in the apparent indifference of our political elites.
Today, in our search for a wide consensus over Europe, we should perhaps think that in order to deepen the Union, we should enlarge its mission to the social field as much as we should review its institutions.
This is all the more important that the European Union has a certain degree of legitimacy because it is such an example to others. The European Union is unique in its...
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