Reclaiming democracy

Title : Reclaiming democracy - Peoples united against the Troika - Strategising to subvert the EU’s neoliberal economic governance and the Troika

economicgovernance@altersummit.eu

Saturday the 8th of June

Preparatory texts :
 Slovenia
 Greece
 France
 Austria

The EU response to the crisis has been to impose austerity measures, attack social and economic rights and to roll back democracy. In some countries the main challenge is the Troika and the harsh conditions of the loan programmes, in others it’s the general rules on economic policy of the European Union that has been developed during the crisis.

For about three years now, the EU and the member state governments have further accelerated its authoritarian neoliberalism. This has been met by strong resistance in some member states, but at the European level, the project of the economic and political elite is still strong and not effectively resisted.

To counter this project, there is a need for a coordinated European struggle.
What are the recent experiences of struggles against the Troika and against neoliberal economic governance? (Que se lixe a Troika, For a European Spring, campaign against the Competitiveness Pact, Blockupy Frankfurt etc.).

What next steps are needed to build a European coordinated struggle?

What role can the Alter Summit play?

The Assembly in Athens, provides an excellent opportunity to develop strategies and proposals for linking up on the various national struggles and resistances and laying the basis for a strong pan-european campaign.

Facilitators: Sia Agnostopolou (tbc) or Marica Frangakis (tbc) and Kenneth Haar (Corporate Europe Observatory)

The people involved in the preparation of this assembly come from:
Transnational Institute (NL),
Corporate Europe Observatory (B),
ATTAC-Portugal,
ATTAC-Austria,
ATTAC-Hellas,
In defence of society and democracy (Greece)
Individuals from Occupy London,
15M (spain) and others.

METHODOLOGY

Over all objective: To discuss strategy and campaigning on the Troika and economic governance, and to come up with specific proposals on next steps.

1- the topic of the assembly and the questions to be answered, will be introduced by the chairs.

2- three speakers will give very short introductions to particular struggles against the Troika and economic governance. They include Blokupy Frankfurt, the campaign against the competitiveness pact, a speaker on the Greek experience, and maybe a representative from the Portuguese "Que se lixe a Troika" campaign.

3- the audience will be split up in working groups, all discussing a set of questions on next steps.

4- report back of working groups and a discussion to reach conclusions.