On the day that the Greek Parliament approved a new package of austerity measures in exchange of a new bailout from the EU and the IMF to overcome the country's debt, the GUE/NGL Group discussed, in the European Parliament, how to pass from a neoliberal Europe to a social Europe.    

"We live today in a neo-liberal Europe that prevents a social Europe, because all the possible social changes are confronted with the EU. If we want to control the movement of capital, the treaties impose its unconstitutionality ", defended the economist Michel Husson. 

Introducing the theory of exit the euro as an ineffective solution to regain competitiveness through the currency devaluation, the economist supports the "rupture with the neoliberal, rethinking the role of the EU": " exit the Euro, particularly in the case of Greece, is an erroneous solution that would only bring the duplication of the debt and the repetition of inflationary cycles." There must be, on the other hand, a "redistribution of wealth through a tax reform that ends with the privileges granted to companies to the rich," said M. Husson adding that "Papandreou did not play a revolutionary card for the game, declaring that the Greek people would not pay the crisis, on the contrary, he yields to the EU and the IMF demands."

"We live today in a non cooperative Europe, instead we must adopt cooperative policies, bet on different power relations and create real solidarity with the more fragile countries: the States of the European Union should be able to directly obtain a loan from the European Central Bank (ECB) with very low interest rates and private banks should be forced to take responsibility for a certain proportion of the public debt", concluded the French economist.

"We cannot go on with a Europe that when a country is in crisis, has no mechanisms to help it without being victim of speculation", said Greek MEP Nikos Chountis.

Speaking of the imposed austerity measures  and economic governance package, recently approved on first reading by the EP, the Deputy of the GUE/NGL argued that "these proposals represent the end of a Social Europe, which moves away from itself, from its founding values and from the workers". The question of refounding a Social Europe does not go through coordination of policies, but through its orientation.

According to Heiz Bierbaum, from Info-Institut, "the budgetary consolidation, in such a technocrat way, offers no room for Member States manoeuvre and does not allow parliamentary participation. Unlike what happens today, the financing of the debt must be separated from markets through public incentives and loans by the ECB with low interest rates, and forbidding speculative financial transactions ", reaffirmed H. Bierbaum.

“We cannot perpetuate the limitation of human rights and the democratic deficit that we had been living in. The resistance of the Left is urgent and necessary to build the struggle for the Social Europe ", reaffirmed the President of the GUE/NGL Lothar Bisky.