International

The SP repeatedly warned that the introduction of the euro would undermine democracy. The rejection of Greece's referendum by the eurozone Finance Ministers shows the extent of the arrogance of power amongst them. The report of the 'five presidents' of European institutions, presented this week, seeks to reinforce the power of technocrats. From now onwards there will therefore be every reason to step up our struggle for real democracy in Europe. The public must have its say; the technocrats have already done enough damage.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has this weekend once again explained everything: the choice between continuing along the path of austerity and impoverishment on the one hand, and on the other sticking to social policies which are not to the taste of the other eurozone countries, is so fundamental a decision that the Greeks must be given the chance to take it for themselves via a referendum. With this move, Greece is throwing down the gauntlet to the neoliberal establishment. If in the end they come through this on top, another Greece and another Europe along with it are possible. It remains, however, a difficult choice. That's precisely why democracy is so important: you don't take such a fundamental decision from inside an ivory tower. You take it in the places where people gather, in the street, with your fellow citizens.

How the statement of the 'five presidents' to which first and foremost the Commission's Juncker, but also eurozone chair Jeroen Dijsselbloem, have contributed. They want to see not only binding agreements on budgetary deficits and state debts, such as already exist in the form of the infamous 3% and 60% rules. No, they argue also that more pressure must come from Brussels when it comes to the whole range of social and economic policies. The two sides of industry would, for example, lose their grip on wage negotiations, because the development of wages and salaries would have to fit with European norms. They even propose the creation of a new organ which would bring all national planning offices in Europe into cooperation with each other in an advisory council whose function would be to judge whether national budgets were properly in line with European targets. The Commission would then on the basis of this advice determine its 'recommendations'. The aim is for these 'recommendations' to be made more binding.

In the Netherlands we have had bad experiences with our own Central Planning Bureau (CPB), which is notorious for its contempt for public and social services. In the eyes of the CPB, these are seldom productive. And these are the people to whom we should hand the power to – via the Commission – handcuff governments and parliaments? I don't think so. Goodbye democracy.

In the wake of the rejection of the European Constitution and following the banking crisis you would think that the technocrats and europhiles would tone it down a bit. The opposite is the case. Brussels must evidently have to deal with outright public anger before they really get it. So there's every reason not to leave the struggle for democracy to Syriza alone, but also to let our own voices be heard: Demokratia!