73 Amendments of Inês Cristina ZUBER related to 2013/2277(INI)
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the so-called economic and financial assistance programmes are intended to achieve the three avowed main aims of reducing budgetary imbalances, improving competitiveness, and supporting the banks, but whereas the measures implemented have in practice resulted in a direct transfer of workers’ income to financial and economic monopolies; whereas, in Portugal, the fiscal consolidation policy has led to recession and a heavier tax burden for workers, and whereas, supposedly in the interests of competitiveness, employment has been deregulated, swingeing cuts have been made in workers’ pay, and the people and the country have to a large extent been made poorer;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the austerity policies are leading to rising unemployment and falling wages, an increase in the numbers of highly skilled and qualified workers and young people who are emigrating, and less investment in education, and are thus serving to decrease workers’ productive capacity;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the troika interventions in the programme countries displayed a serious democratic deficit, people were effectively subjected to economic blackmail and diktats by unelected, unaccountable and non-transparent bodies;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the accession to the EU of countries such as Portugal, which had fragile economies and were forced to compete with economies enjoying a clear competitive advantage, led to deindustrialisation processes (with the country's industry being undermined relative to its needs); whereas the process of deindustrialisation has gone hand in hand with an increased tendency towards the destruction of productive capacity in farming and fisheries (CAP and CFP);
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas public spending in Portugal rose from 42% of GDP in 2000 to 51% in 2010 owing to the crisis, as a result of moves to stimulate the economy whose main approach was defined by the EU; whereas in 2011 spending on social protection stood at 26.5% of GDP by comparison with an EU-28 average of 29.1%; whereas in 2007, before the international crisis, the public deficit stood at 3.1% and public debt at 68.3%, values close to those imposed by the rules of the Maastricht Treaty (and close to those recorded in countries such as Germany);
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas Portuguese public debt has virtually doubled since 2007; whereas Portuguese public debt shot up with the Memorandum of Understanding, rising by EUR 25.3 billion per year in 2011 and 2012, i.e. at a pace 6.4 times higher than that recorded between 2001 and 2004 and 2.7 times higher than that recorded between 2005 and 2010; whereas in August 2013, according to the Bank of Portugal, general government debt reached EUR 254 638 million (155.2% of GDP) and public debt according to the Maastricht criteria, which do not include the whole debt, reached EUR 214 880 million (131.4% of GDP), an unprecedented level;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
Hb. whereas the "success story" around Ireland exiting the programme has very little to do with actual accomplishments that have an impact on people's lives; whereas this story is mainly empty spin designed to support the Irish government's policies, and use Ireland as an example to force working people in southern Europe to accept more austerity; whereas in reality Ireland has the highest net emigration rate of all member states, investment as a percentage of Irish GDP is at 10.6%, the lowest rate in the EU, with the average at 20%, Ireland is still left with an unsustainable debt to GDP ratio of 125% and personal consumption is down 12% compared to 2008;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas studies show that reducing Portuguese public debt to levels close to 60% of GDP, as provided for in the so- called fiscal compact, will be possible only if two conditions are met at the same time over the next 20 years: significant economic growth of around 4% of nominal GDP and a positive primary balance of around 3.5%;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Recital H c (new)
Recital H c (new)
Hc. whereas, despite of claims by the Troika and the Irish government, Ireland has not regained "economic sovereignty" since exiting the programme; whereas Ireland, in addition to being subject to EU 'economic governance' like all other EU countries, is also still subjected to "post- programme monitoring" by the IMF and "post-programme surveillance" by the Commission which include formal inspections and the power to impose further austerity; whereas the same will apply to other countries when they exit their programmes;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas the European Central Bank is not genuinely autonomous and monetary policy gives priority to price stability to the detriment of each country's development towards higher wages and income; whereas the European Central Bank does not lend to States but only to banks, at interest rates of less than 1%; whereas banks are at the same time allowed to charge extortionate interest rates on their loans, particularly for States; whereas the continued overvaluation of the euro protects the interests of the countries with the strongest economies but makes it impossible for countries with fragile economies to recover;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the EU institutions (the ECB, the Commission and the Eurogroup) are fully co-responsible, together with national governments, for the conditions imposed under the economic adjustment programmes, and therefore for their social consequences;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
Af. whereas the European Union was actively complicit in the escalating interest rates on Portuguese public debt, since it failed to intervene when the current political and institutional context would have allowed it to put an end to the situation, as demonstrated by the ECB's actions in other cases;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
Recital A g (new)
Ag. whereas the weaknesses of the Portuguese economy, exacerbated by successive policies supported by the EU, in particular the so-called SGPs (from 2010 onwards), have had a recessionary effect and led to spiralling interest rates, and blackmail and extortion by banks and investors in sovereign debt;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A h (new)
Recital A h (new)
Ah. whereas the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding dramatically worsened Portugal's economic indicators, causing a sharp drop in GDP and public investment, which fell below 1980s levels, as well as in public and private consumption; whereas household consumption has fallen considerably and agricultural, industrial and energy production has declined, as has trade; whereas overall employment has fallen by 8.1% in the past two years and 400 000 jobs have been destroyed;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A i (new)
Recital A i (new)
Ai. whereas the Portuguese people are being made to suffer increased poverty, unemployment, extreme deprivation, the collapse of various public services and emigration, and more than 220 000 Portuguese people have been forced to leave the country in the past two years;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A j (new)
Recital A j (new)
Aj. whereas the Memorandum of Understanding with Portugal helped bring about a dramatic cut in unit labour costs (with wages falling by close to 15% in real terms during this period) and a lengthy programme of privatisations, both of which have led to the unequal distribution of national income to the benefit of capital and to the detriment of labour, and an even greater concentration and centralisation of capital;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A k (new)
Recital A k (new)
Ak. whereas the Community financial framework for the period 2007-2013 (like the current framework: 2014-2020) fell far below what would have been required to meet the needs in terms of offsetting the increasingly asymmetric impact of the EU single market and other common policies, which have accentuated the inequalities between countries and between different sections of society;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A l (new)
Recital A l (new)
Al. whereas the Memorandum of Understanding with Portugal is geared to attacking workers' rights and their wages and pensions, destroying public services and cutting jobs in this sector; whereas unemployment has reached extremely high levels, particularly among young people, and thousands of SMEs have gone bankrupt; whereas worsening social conditions and increased worker exploitation contrasts with the rise in the number of millionaires and the size of their fortunes in Portugal since the Memorandum of Understanding came into force;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Deplores the fact that Parliament has been completely marginalised during all phases of the project: the preparatory phase, the development of mandates and the monitoring of the results achieved by the programmes and related measures; Notes that the European Parliament supported the same kind of neoliberal austerity policies, e.g. through its acceptance of inter alia the 2-pack, 6-pack or European Semester .
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A m (new)
Recital A m (new)
Am. whereas the reforms to the common agricultural policy and common fisheries policy have accentuated the moves towards the liberalisation of farming and downgrading of the fishing industry, leaving small and medium-sized farmers, family farms and fishing communities facing even greater difficulties;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. Whereas the political decisions regarding the Troika and the adjustment programs are taken by the Eurogroup clearly aiming at the completion of the Single Market and the promotion of economic integration at all costs, especially at the expense of social and labour rights of the people; thus these policies lead to austerity instead of growth and job creation;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the adjustment policies and structural reforms in the four countries haveneoliberal austerity programmes in the four countries have further worsened the effects of the structural capitalist crisis and led to dramatic unemployment rates, historically high rates of job losses and worsening working conditions; points out that the consequences for activity rates, in particular as regards the sustainability of social protection and pension systems, are even more serious because the gap between the Europe 2020 targets and reality is rapidly growing ever wider;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes with concern that the troikas have imposed cuts across the board in public sector pay (even doing away with holiday and Christmas bonuses) and in retirement pensions and unemployment, sickness, and other welfare benefits, as well as imposing longer working hours, adding to the exploitation of workers; points out that wages in Portugal have fallen on average by about 9% in real terms; points out that many thousands of public sector jobs have been shed in the countries being bailed out and that labour law has been amended so as to make redundancy schemes easier to implement and cheaper;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with great concernDeplores that it is young people who are suffering the highest levels of unemployment, with the situation in countries such as Greece, where the rate is over 50%, or Portugal and Ireland, where it is in excess of 30%, being quite devastating; regrets the fact that even those who do find a job often find themselves working under precarious conditions or on part-time contracts, 43% of young workers are working with a part-time contract compared to 13% of adult workers, which make it hard to live independently;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with great concern that it is young people who are suffering the highest levels of unemployment, with the situation in countries such as Greece, where the rate is over 50%, or Portugal and Ireland, where it is in excess of 30%, being quite devastating; regrets the fact that even those who do find a job often find themselves working under precarious conditions or on part-time contracts which make it hard to live independently; points out that the much-vaunted fall in Portugal’s youth unemployment rate (36% in the third quarter of 2013) was influenced by the increase in young emigrants and by active employment policy measures based on insecure contracts;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that the sharp rise in living costs due to budget cuts, privatisations and lack of investment in public services, has also made it more difficult for young people to find the financial means necessary to live independently from their families; stresses the need for massive investment in public services to make living independently a reality for young people;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers, as regards the decision taken in some of the four countries, that it is unacceptable to increase the social security contributions payable by workers while lowering the contribution rates payable by companies, bearing in mind that this constitutes a setback for fairer redistribution of income and will jeopardise the sustainability of public social security systems;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the most vulnerable groups – the long-term unemployed, women, migrant workers and the disabled – have been strongly hit and are suffering from higher unemployment rates than the national average; points out that high unemployment rates put pressure on working conditions, as workers do not know whether their jobs will be preserved or whether there will be alternatives to fall back on, they are more likely to suffer, and are more vulnerable to, violence, mobbing, and sexual harassment, they are made to multitask – in the sense of executing numerous tasks for which they have no aptitude – and, as a result of mass redundancies, are obliged to take on additional tasks previously performed by other workers;
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Warns that, if not remedied, these huge divergences, especially in the case of the younger generation, will result in structural damage to the labour market of the four countries, limit their capacity for recovery, provoke massive forced migration with tremendous brain-drain effects, which will have far-reaching implications for their development and demographic balance, and increase the persistent divergences between Member States supplying employment and those supplying a low- cost workforce;
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that the Europe 2020 strategy accurately states that the figure to watch is the employment rate, which indicates the availability of human and financial resources to ensure the sustainability of our economic and social model; regrets that the slowdown in the unemployment rate is confused with the recovery of jobs lost; recalls that in the last four years job losses have reached 2 million in the four countries, which is 15% of existing jobs; stresses that new jobs need to be quality jobs, meaning jobs with good wages and conditions and full trade union rights, so that employment is a guarantee for workers, and particularly young workers, for a life in dignity;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses that to reach full employment a radical break with neoliberal policies is necessary; radically different measures should be implemented, including a general reduction of the working time without loss of pay, the lowering of the pension age and a massive plan for public investment in socially useful, quality jobs; stresses that these measures should be implemented in a democratically planned way and funded through a system of progressive taxation aimed at making the super-rich and big business pay for the crisis they have caused;
Amendment 119 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is concernoutraged that, among the conditions for financial assistance, the programmes include recommendations for specific cuts in fundamental areas of the fight against poverty, such as pensions, basic services, health care and pharmaceutical products for the basic protection of the most vulnerable; highlights the fact that the main impact of these measures is on the fight against child poverty;
Amendment 127 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Recalls the tragic and sharp rise in suicide rates, most notably in Greece where suicide figures are estimated to have risen by 43% between 2008 and 2011; stresses that experts point to the crisis and the devastating effects of austerity measures as one of the key contributing factor for this rise;
Amendment 142 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Notes that people receiving retirement and other pensions are among the social groups most affected by poverty; notes that in Portugal 75.9% of people living on pensions receive pensions under EUR 419.22, and their living conditions have fallen even further as public services have been closed, hospital fees have risen, and they face increases in the cost of transport, electricity and rent, among other things; whereas it is these same people who are increasingly having to support their children, who are battling the problems of unemployment, precarious employment and low wages;
Amendment 145 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses that the rise in poverty, exclusion and uncertainty amongst the vast majority of the people living in the programme countries is mirrored by a sharp rise in wealth for a small minority; e.g. in Ireland since 2007 profits have increased by 21% and according to the Revenue Commissioners, the number of people earning more than €500,000 a year has grown to 3,443 in 2012 with a combined income of €1.8bn, while over 1 million taxpayers out of 2.16 million had incomes lower than €30,000; Similarly in Portugal 75% of pensioners receive pensions less than €419.22 while the 870 Portuguese millionaires increased their fortunes by €7,5 billion since 2012;
Amendment 146 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Notes with concern that cases of hunger and malnutrition have increased, many families have had their water, electricity and gas supply cut off, people have lost their homes (because of bank repossessions or evictions), increasing numbers of families no longer have enough money to pay for crèches, kindergartens and old people's homes, for thousands of children the only meal of the day is the meal provided for them at school, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of requests for help from social institutions, which are unable to cope with the growing number of applications, and the public funds available to support groups at risk of poverty are increasingly scarce;
Amendment 149 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Regrets the fact that, for Greece, Ireland and Portugal at least, the programmes included a number of detailed prescriptions on health system reform and expenditure cuts, despite the fact that Article 168(7) TFEU prohibits such intervention; notes the example of Ireland where an additional €618 million will be cut from the Health Service Executive in 2014; stresses that this is a danger to health and safety of patients as hospitals had already lost 20% of their budget since 2009;
Amendment 162 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Notes with concern that cuts in public funding for primary and secondary education have worsened significantly – including through the dismissal of tens of thousands of teachers in each country – and this has practical implications for the quality of education and the material and human resources available in schools; notes that these measures are leading to growing class sizes, the reorganisation of curricula, school mergers and increased concentration, with schools being closed in the most remote and rural areas, with the result that many young people are being deprived of access to public education; stresses that, as a result of this situation, public education is to a greater and increasing extent being replaced by private education, which only some people can afford, and this is adding to social inequalities among pupils;
Amendment 164 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the fact that tertiary education attainment levels have been rising in all fsome of the bailed-ourt countries; notes, however, that this is partially explained by the need of young people to improve their future labour market chances; points out that in Portugal the number of students starting further education has fallen for the fifth year in a row, and this decline is inextricably linked to the increase in fees and other costs and the fact that access to social measures in the field of education is severely limited;
Amendment 167 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Stresses that for education to be truly accessible for all it should be public, democratically run and free at the point of use;
Amendment 177 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Stresses that revitalised collective bargaining provides a fundamental guarantee for balanced labour relations and underpins the working of democracy itself;
Amendment 184 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Points out that, in the sphere of health, the austerity measures imposed by the troikas and implemented by governments have resulted in the closure of hospital services and facilities, the elimination of or cuts in local healthcare provision and the consequent reduction in preventive care and access to diagnosis, the withdrawal of support for the transport of patients – with the result that they are missing out on vital consultations and treatment – and a sharp rise in charges for public health services, and these measures have had the effect of restricting access to health services;
Amendment 187 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Points out that unemployment, cuts in social benefits, poverty and a lack of prospects for the future are among the factors that may cause or worsen cases of depression which may lead to suicide attempts; notes that deteriorating working conditions and the increasingly precarious nature of employment are leading to a rise in psycho-social factors and a rise in depression among workers;
Amendment 193 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Urges Member States, in particular those under the Memorandum of Understanding, to boost wages and social benefits, restoring stolen wages, incomes and social rights to their former level so as to resolve serious social problems, enhance domestic demand, revitalise economic activity and create more and better jobs; urges Member States to apply a policy of protecting and restoring public services, particularly as regards the social functions of the State, boosting their human and material resources in keeping with their key role in enabling citizens to realise their rights;
Amendment 195 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Stresses that it is important for the Member States to consider ways of renegotiating public debts – deadlines, interest rates and the sums to be paid – that might offer states relief from the burden of servicing debts and channel resources to promoting productive investment and creating jobs;
Amendment 196 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Highlights the importance of political convergence between countries with similar problems with the aim of halting the spiral of speculation;
Amendment 197 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Stresses the importance of applying budgetary policies designed to combat extravagant spending, based on a fiscal component involving increased taxes on dividends and profits and a reduced burden for workers and small and medium-sized enterprises, guaranteeing the appropriations necessary for States to function effectively;
Amendment 204 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Points out that the November 2013 ILO report 'Tackling the jobs crisis in Portugal' advocates a strategy based on job creation and productive investment, preserving jobs and supporting unemployed people and vulnerable groups, better-quality jobs, social protection, higher wages, and the revitalisation and expansion of collective bargaining and the social dialogue;
Amendment 208 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the EU to provide support, after the assessment, including through financial resources where appropriate, for the recovery and restoration of social protection standards and of the fight against poverty reduction and the renewal of social dialogue through a social recovery plan; calls on the Commission, the ECB and the Eurogroup to phase out the exceptional measures that have been put in place that places the emphasis on protecting increased domestic production in these countries, including through financial support; calls on the Commission, the ECB and the Eurogroup to abolish the troikas and political measures whose content was based on the 'budget consolidation' approach (European Semester, Two-Pack, economic governance, Fiscal Compact);
Amendment 218 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the EU not to apply such institutional and financial solutions inausterity measures in the future, and to put in place mechanisms enabling the EU institutions to achieve the social goals and policies set out in the Treaties, in particular those relating to the individual and collective rights of those at greatest risk of social exclusion;
Amendment 227 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for an immediate end to austerity policies;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the initial request for financial assistance was made by Cyprus on 25 June 2012, but that differences of positions as regards the conditionality, as well as the rejection of an initial draft programme by the Cypriot Parliament, delayed the final agreement on the EU- IMF assistance programme until 24 April (EU) and 15 May 2013 (IMF), respectively, and on 30 April 2013 the Cypriot House of Representatives finally endorsed the ‘new’ agreement;still the final decision on a European level, the bail-in method, was by no means a solution
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Believes that the decision for a "bail- in" was devastating for Cyprus economy; regrets that the decision was approved overnight without prior consultation of the national parliament; stresses that these decisions undermine the democratic accountability of the EU;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Recognizes that the Memoranda do not promote sustainable and long-term growth for the people; Urges for alternative solutions to overcome the crisis, which will promote solidarity and social justice.
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Urges Member States, especially those covered by a Memorandum of Understanding, to boost wages and welfare benefits, restoring wages, incomes, and social entitlements to levels compensating for what has been stolen, so as to resolve serious social problems, enhance domestic demand, revitalise economic activity, and create more and better jobs; urges Member States to apply a policy of protecting and restoring public services, particularly as regards the social functions of the State, boosting their human and material resources in keeping with their key role in enabling citizens to realise their rights;
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Stress that the rise in poverty, social exclusion and uncertainty amongst the majority of people living in the programme countries is mirrored by a sharp rise in wealth for a small minority; e.g. in Ireland since 2007 profits have increased by 21% and according to the Revenue Commissioners, the number of people earning more than €500,000 a year has grown to 3,443 in 2012 with a combined income of €1.8bn, while over 1 million taxpayers out of 2.16 million had incomes lower than €30,000;
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Believes that the "success story" around Ireland exiting the programme has very little to do with actual accomplishments that have an impact on people's lives; whereas this story is mainly empty spin designed to support the Irish government's policies, and use Ireland as an example to force working people in southern Europe to accept more austerity; whereas in reality Ireland has the highest net emigration rate of all member states, investment as a percentage of Irish GDP is at 10.6%, the lowest rate in the EU, with the average at 20%, Ireland is still left with an unsustainable debt to GDP ratio of 125% and personal consumption is down 12% compared to 2008;
Amendment 440 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Is of the opinion that whereas, despite claims by the Troika and the Irish government, Ireland has not regained "economic sovereignty" since exiting the programme; whereas Ireland, in addition to being subject to EU 'economic governance' like all other EU countries, is also still subjected to "post-programme monitoring" by the IMF and "post- programme surveillance" by the Commission which include formal inspections and the power to impose further austerity; Stresses that this will also be the case if other countries exit their programme;
Amendment 441 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Points to the importance of applying budgetary policies designed to combat extravagant spending, based on a fiscal component involving increased taxes on dividends and profits and a reduced burden for workers and small and medium-sized enterprises, providing states with the money enabling them to function effectively;
Amendment 459 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Considers that the Memorandum of Understanding with Portugal has offered the banking industry and big business a millionaire support and guarantee package and delivered up public resources to usury and financial market speculation;
Amendment 542 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls for a breakaway from these policies so that the problems of economic sustainable growth, unemployment, poverty, social exclusion, and (income) inequalities can be truly addressed and combated;
Amendment 582 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. NoteConsiders that the Troika’s mandatMemorandum of Understanding with Portugal has constituted an act of interference thas been perceived as being unclear and lacking transparencyt is unlawful and anti-democratic on account of the political and institutional decision- taking, which has violated principles and rights enshrined in the Portuguese Constitution, and above all on account of its substance, amounting to nothing short of an aggression pact against the country and its people;
Amendment 719 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Stresses that the main problem remains the insistence on the continued implementation and institutionalisation of the European Commission-Central Bank- IMF Troika's neo-liberal policies, hence leading to further attacks on democracy, on social and workers' rights and to the closure of small and medium size enterprises.
Amendment 763 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Calls for the Memorandum of Understanding with Portugal to be cancelled forthwith and for the Troika to be disbanded; recognises that the Portuguese public debt is unsustainable and calls for a process to begin without delay with a view to renegotiating the debt as regards the amounts, due dates, interest rates, and terms of payment, which should be brought into line with the economic and social needs and the economic and social development requirements of the country and the Portuguese people;
Amendment 764 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 b (new)
Paragraph 38 b (new)
38b. Criticises the fact that the immediate cancellation of the Memorandum of Understanding would still not guarantee the Portuguese people’s inalienable right to development; calls for the Stability Pact, the six-pack, the two-pack, and the ‘Fiscal Compact‘ to be revoked without delay and for the European Semester and economic governance process to be halted;
Amendment 765 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 c (new)
Paragraph 38 c (new)
38c. Considers that the course set by Economic and Monetary Union, in particular under the Stability and Growth Pact (now bolstered by the six-pack, the two-pack, and what is termed the Fiscal Compact), is creating growing inequalities among countries and is manifestly at odds with reality and with the specific needs of countries with fragile economies; considers that the obsession with making good the budget deficit, restrictive public investment policies, privatising and downgrading public services, and cutting wages, pensions, and other welfare benefits will serve to exacerbate the crisis;
Amendment 766 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 d (new)
Paragraph 38 d (new)
38d. Rejects any diktats, conditions, and restrictions that infringe Portugal‘s sovereign right to determine its economic policies, including the management of its natural resources and its trading relations;
Amendment 767 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 e (new)
Paragraph 38 e (new)
38e. Maintains that the agreements and treaties governing EU integration should be reversible and that every country’s status should be adjusted according to the will of its people and its actual situation, on the understanding that the necessary exception clauses must be permitted;
Amendment 768 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 f (new)
Paragraph 38 f (new)
38f. Calls for the EU budget to be at least doubled and for an EU programme to be drawn up for the countries with a Memorandum of Understanding, laying down the priorities of resolving social problems and safeguarding, utilising, and promoting the national resources of each country concerned and its production capacity, especially in the agricultural and fisheries sectors and in industry, as is essential in order to protect workers and enhance their status and to restore the rights of which they have been stripped in terms of wages, pensions, and other social entitlements;
Amendment 769 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 g (new)
Paragraph 38 g (new)
38g. Calls for radical change to the Statute, policies, and sham independence of the European Central Bank, allowing all Member States to be represented on an equal footing in its governing body, so as to enable them to exercise genuine political control and ensure that every Member State can control its national central bank and monetary policy – not least by using the currency tool – with a view to promoting economic growth and employment;
Amendment 772 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
Amendment 808 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41a. Calls for radical change to the Statute, policies, and sham independence of the European Central Bank, allowing all Member States to be represented on an equal footing in its governing body, so as to enable them to exercise genuine political control and ensure that every Member State can control its national central bank and monetary policy – not least by using the currency tool – with a view to promoting economic growth and employment;
Amendment 815 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41a. Believes that alternative proposals should be examined in order to combat stagnation and unemployment in countries under Memorandum; considers that these proposals should aim at strengthening and not undermining the welfare state , boosting growth and active job creation policies.