Ahead of a vote on a report evaluating the role and activity of the Troika, GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer says the text doesn’t go nearly far enough in highlighting the real legacy of the Troika's adjustment programmes.

"The humungous costs of austerity in terms of mass unemployment, cuts to public services and the violations of democratic procedures have come largely as a result of Troika policies.  Troika interventions broke EU law and breached the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The latest Eurostat figures show that youth unemployment now stands at 59% in Greece, the country worst affected by the Troika's austerity prescription."

"There are alternatives to austerity, it is not unavoidable; it is a political choice. The crisis has been used cynically to dismantle the European social model in the interests of global competitiveness. We need fundamentally different policies based on solidarity - ending austerity, taxing those who can afford to pay, and investing in jobs and social services. An end to anti-democratic decision-making is similarly imperative."

"This report isn't a real critique of the Troika. The Troika, as established by the governments, is undemocratic; it failed economically and burdened the most marginalised with the costs of the crisis: the sick, the old, and the young. The Parliament needs to clearly state that and stop trying to misrepresent an abysmal - and sadly persistent - chapter in EU history."

GUE/NGL Press:
David Lundy +32 470 85 05 09
Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20

www.guengl.eu

European United Left/Nordic Green Left

European Parliamentary Group