A Resolution by the European Parliament, A Rebuke to Greece and the Troika

Press Release

A Resolution by the European Parliament

A Rebuke to Greece and the Troika

On 11 January 2014, the European Parliament passed resolution 17-0240/2014 with the title “Aspects pertaining to employment and social divisions connected to the role and actions of Troika.”

The resolution is a slap in the face of Greece as well as the Troika.  Among other things, it mentions that the European Parliament has been set aside while the Central European Bank has taken decisions outside its jurisdiction.  This resolution points out obvious mistakes in the proceedings concerning Troika’s role and they also point out that in the programs they planned failed to take social factors into account.  In this way, the vulnerable portions of the population have been hurt while unemployment has steadily climbed to alarming levels.

The results of such a “scheme”, which was based on a faulty financial multiplier, are self-evident in our country.  Poverty has reached the working class and the middle class, while poverty among children is constantly rising.  At the same time, the increase in mortgage defaults and foreclosures of homes steps heavily on human rights.  The whole situation is worsened by the cuts to the lowest salaries and the across-the-board cutbacks in health.  As the resolution points out, the reforms have had a serious impact on the overall quality not to mention plain access to health and social welfare services.  This is especially true in countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal.  Essentially the right to health has been totally ignored.

Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko was founded because of this denial health services to the most vulnerable in our society.

The European Parliament has gone a step further and is urgently recommending the EU to take immediate action to re-establish the basics of social protection and to take drastic measures towards this goal.  It also has called upon the European Commission, the ECB and the Euro group to review and revise, where necessary, the stern measures that have been implemented - and to accomplish this without delay. 

In addition, the European Parliament insists that they adhere to the legal obligations spelt out in the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights and that any omission to do this will constitute a violation of fundamental laws/rights of the EU.  It calls on the Agency for Fundamental Rights of the European Union to examine in detail the impact of these measures on human rights and to submit strong recommendations whenever they feel that the Charter has been violated.  They also urge Troika and its relevant member states to stop destructive measures as soon as possible and to establish mechanisms for crisis management.

They go on to ask that the Commission and the Council to look into social imbalances and correct them by paying equal attention that they give to macroeconomic imbalances and to make sure that any adjustments are socially just and do not fail to keep a balance between economic development and employment, and between the implementation of structural reforms and fiscal consolidation. 

Among the recommendations given to the Commission and its member states is a recommendation that spending on health and education should be considered an investment that can lead to recovery. 

Finally, the European Parliament recommends conferring with and giving heed to the needs of the public - to listen to organizations of patients and professionals which are trying to protect vulnerable groups and to give them access to services and medicines.

We earnestly hope that the attention will be given to this resolution of the European Parliament.  After all, every day, we work with the needy and uninsured who turn to us for medicines and health services. 

May the voices in this resolution be heard and resonate clearly. 

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CLINIC AT HELLINIKO 

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