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(texte écrit le 26 mai dernier)
Les 5 et 6 mai derniers, nous avons organisé une conférence à Bruxelles sur le thème de la crise en Europe, « L'UE en crise – analyses, résistances et alternatives à l'Europe des entreprises ». Le prétexte en était le 15ème anniversaire de CEO, mais en réalité nous avons tenté de construire un programme qui permette d'aborder l'essentiel des enjeux :
The CEO/TNI conference “EU in crisis” felt like a reunion, even though many of the people were new. The atmosphere was the same as in 1997, during the activities around the Treaty of Amsterdam, where 50 000 people showed up for demonstrations supporting the Summit from Below. While there was already the beginning of a pan- European movement, who could foresee the European Social Forum, the protests in Prague, Gothenburg and Genoa, or the World Social Forum in 1997?
Lo normal es que la finalización de un congreso internacional signifique para los organizadores el final de su trabajo y el momento de hacer balance y descansar del esfuerzo realizado. Sin embargo, no va a ser ese el caso para los miembros del Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), que los pasados sábado 5 y domingo 6 de mayo organizaron con el Transnational Institute el congreso europeo ’UE en crisis: análisis, resistencia y alternativas a la Europa corporativa’ en Bruselas.
During the 5th and 6th of May I was invited to join, as a Grupo 17 de Marzo representative, more than 250 activists including trade unionists, indignados activists, and human rights associations to meet in Brussels for a conference organised by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO).
Belén Balanyá (Spain/ The Netherlands)
In 1997 we founded Corporate Europe Observatory and we were warning of the dangers of corporate Europe, and of the links of EU institutions with big business. We looked at the dangers of the single market and the planned monetary union. But we were more naïve than now about the EU and its chances to be reformed. Now in 2012, the EU is showing its face and it is more clear than ever that it stands for the interests of a corporate elite, forcing a shock doctrine upon European societies.
A day before I came to Brussels I took part in the conference Gender Macht Arbeit (Gender, Power, Work) organized by WIDE Switzerland. In a way, the two conferences complement each other. Let me therefore make linkages between debates in Berne and Brussels.
Those who stayed for the closing plenary heard calls for citizens' mobilization. In the face of frontal attacks to their rights citizens must reclaim democracy and policies that put people at the centre. Indeed, the roots of today's crisis go beyond economic policy: it is a governance issue.
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Corporate Europe Observatory
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) is a research and campaign group working to expose and challenge the privileged access and influence enjoyed by corporations and their lobby groups in EU policy making.
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