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Divorced from reality, Barroso leaves poor and unemployed to rot

11 September 2013

Divorced from reality, Barroso leaves poor and unemployed to rot

This morning president of the European Commission Jose Barroso addressed the European Parliament in his annual State of the Union speech. The speech demonstrated that Barroso is completely divorced from reality. According to the Commission President, we are seeing great progress in crisis countries such as Greece and Portugal, and can be optimistic over the future of the EU. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong, reacting to the speech, asked ‘How is it possible for this man to say this while millions are living in wretched conditions and social services and provisions are being cut throughout Europe? His speech included nothing essentially realistic on how to combat unemployment and poverty. He does, however, state that the EU is not the problem. Yet it is nevertheless his own European Commission that is holding on to austerity fetishism, to the 3% deficit norm which forces the member states to make deep spending cuts which only make the crisis worse.’

Barroso used the opportunity of his speech once again to argue for more power to be given to the EU institutions. If member states are not prepared to transfer still more powers over economic and financial matters to the Commission, the EU will, he said, fall apart. “We’re not having this any longer, however,’ said De Jong. ‘The transfer of powers has already gone much too far too quickly in recent years. We need now to mark time.’

Each year the President of the European Commission presents his so-called ‘State of the Union’ address in the European Parliament. Although Barroso is absolutely not the equivalent of the US president, he hopes with this address to achieve the same sort of aura. The EP is happy to go along with this now that a majority is in favour of a federal Europe.

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