"Co-decision on budget issues is the minimum required under democracy and Member States must not be allowed to redefine solidarity as 'helping when it suits your interests'" GUE/NGL President Lothar Bisky said in today's EU budget 2011 debate in the European Parliament.

"People who argued for the Lisbon Treaty stressed that the democratic deficit would be plugged. However, the first year of the Treaty, and the current deadlock, have shown that democratic supervision by the European Parliament is something that has to be fought for tooth and nail with the Council".

Signalling that tomorrow millions of Portuguese workers will go on strike with the simple message that workers, pensioners, young people and the unemployed should not have to foot the bill for this crisis because they weren't responsible for it, GUE/NGL Portuguese MEP Miguel Portas said the backdrop to the current budget deadlock is the "tragedy of austerity measures being put through by Member States".

"Austerity is not just unfair but is a huge economic error that will return us to recession. This budget doesn't help us to deal with the crisis but is rather a symptom of it. We have to decide whether we want a strong EU or one that is sure of being sucked under by economic and monetary speculation" Portas said.

Parliament will vote on a resolution on the budget tomorrow.

GUE/NGL PRESS CONTACTS:
David Lundy + 32 485 50 58 12
Gianfranco Battistini + 32 475 64 66 28
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
www.guengl.eu
Gauche Unitaire Européenne/Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group