60 years of the EU: its declarations have been dispelled
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 24th March 2017, Nicosia
On the 25th March 60 years will have passed since the signing of the Treaties of
Rome, which laid the foundation of today’s European Union. The leaders of the
EU’s 27 member-states are organizing a festive Summit Meeting in Rome to
celebrate the achievements of the construction of the EU. However, this time the
celebrations cannot hide its existential dead-ends which the EU is facing. Brexit,
the growing social dissatisfaction with the EU, unbridgeable contradictions in the
internal situation of the Union and the rise of nationalism and xenophobia are a
sign of the times which reveal that the cohesion and future of the EU cannot now
be taken for granted anymore.
Sixty years onwards, it is evident that the declarations and promises of the EU’s
founders have not only not been confirmed, but are being refuted daily.
– Instead of “prosperity”, the peoples of Europe are counting the number of
unemployed, homeless people and the poor in their millions, at the same
time as billions are being channelled for the bailing out of the banks.
– Instead of “peace”, the European Union is being militarized continuously,
turned into a twin brother of NATO, engaging in arms sales with the Middle
East in armed conflict and declaring a “change in investments” directed
towards the arms industry. The EU is carrying out military missions
throughout the whole world, creating an EU military command and is
involved in military aggressions and interventions. The EU’s hands are
stained with the blood of Yugoslavia, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria,
whilst it has colluded for the resurgence of fascism in Ukraine.
– Instead of “solidarity”, the leaders of the EU are building walls and erecting
electric barbed wire fences, launching patrols and operations in order to
keep the refugees, who are drowning in the waters of the Mediterranean,
outside of “Fortress Europe”.
– Instead of “democracy”, the democratic deficit in the functioning of the EU
is constantly widening and the inequalities between its states and
peripheries are being reproduced, while at the same time it is
institutionalizing anti-communism and falsifying and distorting the history
of the Second World War.2
This stark reality didn’t emerge out of nowhere. It is the result of the very capitalist
nature of the EU itself and the neo-liberal policies that are dominant for decades
now.
The Right and European socialdemocracy were the forces which, together, led
developments to their current situation. Indeed, they insist that the solutions will
be found by implementing the same recipes and policies that have caused today’s
situation. A characteristic example of their philosophy is the “White Paper on the
future of the EU” which presents five scenarios for a “multiple-speed” EU. The
common denominator in the five scenarios outlined is the deepening of the EU’s
military unification. It is obvious that the leaders of the EU consider that what the
peoples need is more wars and more armaments.
On the other hand, “Euroscepticism” which various nationalist and extreme-right
wing forces are projecting in many member-states is equally dangerous and
against the people’s interests, given that it is guided by the most reactionary
sections of big capital and refers to some of the darkest times of Europe’s history.
In Cyprus, up until a few years ago, all the political forces – apart from AKEL –
were reacting to even the slightest criticism exerted towards the EEC/EU. AKEL
which exposed and continues to expose the realities regarding the EU was for
decades being denounced as supposedly “Europhobic” and “outdated”, first and
foremost by DISY Rally party which continues to be a willing apologist of all the
EU’s anti-social policies.
However, AKEL even when it advocated – under certain preconditions and guided
by the cause of the Cyprus problem – Cyprus’ accession to the EU, declared that
this was the result of the dramatic change in the international conditions and not
because of a change in the character of the EU itself. Consequently, during Cyprus’
accession negotiations, AKEL waged battles against the then DISY government in
order to safeguard the most progressive and pro-people’s elements of Cypriot
legislation.
From 2004 onwards, AKEL is the only Cypriot political party which opposed
everything that developed the EU into its current form. Only AKEL, both in the
House of Representatives, as well as in the European Parliament, voted against
the European Constitution, Lisbon Reform Treaty, “Europe 2020” Strategy, New
Economic Governance Framework, “Banking Union” and the Agreements to unify
markets with the USA and Canada (TTIP and CETA). That is to say everything they
have institutionalized and are continuously developing a suffocating framework to
control the economies of the EU member-states by imposing the further flexibility
of labour relations, privatizations, liberalizations, austerity for the working people
and “incentives” for big business. Besides, it is the same philosophy that imposed
in Cyprus, with the collaboration of the Anastasiades government, the catastrophic
haircut on bank deposits and the Memorandum of 2013. In addition, AKEL is the
only political party that strongly opposes the militarist and interventionist
character of the EU’s foreign and defence policy, but also the “anti-terror” laws of
repression and filing.
At the same time, AKEL doesn’t limit itself to exerting criticism and is always trying
to present alternatives. Together with the struggles against today’s EU of