Does Europe need a new Renaissance?

In the recent years Europe comes on the spotlight of the global news, only for its economic woes and inability to cope with the ongoing economic crisis. 

Just like many times in the past, Europe is in the center of the global interest for all the wrong reasons. We have been there before so many times and as some say, we always recovered and became stronger. 

But how will Europe look like, if we ever get out of this new low we have reached? In the past after every dark page, there was a golden period; the Renaissance after the Dark Ages, new European kingdoms after all the invasions and wars. With destruction always came rebirth and Europe always remained one of the leading forces on this planet, a main contributor of human history as we know it.

Also, we should consider what would be the catalyst that will put Europe back into the reigns of any progress of this world. What sectors we should encourage to grow, what resources do we have to exploit and how we could put it all together? 

If we examine European history, our greatest achievements and contributions to this world were our culture, science and industries. In the recent years they all suffer in a bigger or lesser extend. Long gone are the days that we enjoyed European (French or Italian for example) music, films and art. The days that European fashion was in its heydays, our factories were producing, our products were sought after all over the world and prominent European literature and philosophy were influencing the way the world thought.

Europe today listens to American hit music and watches Hollywood films.  Our clothes and most of the goods and gadgets we purchase are made in China or India. There are very few prominent scientific discoveries or breakthroughs and very few well known writers, poets, thinkers or philosophers. We live in a fast consumerist and ephemeral society, largely influenced by the “Anglo-Saxon” or American way of living, while our economies are now based on services, banking, the markets and the monopolies of the few. 

Europe is the continent who influenced the most this planet, for good and for bad. Starting from the antiquity and the Greek and Roman miracles in drama, philosophy, astronomy and mathematics, other later European nations continued their traditions; French, German, Italian, Spanish, Austrian, Dutch, Flemish and Portuguese explorers, scientists, philosophers, scholars and artists contributed to the enrichment, expansion and the zenith of European culture in all four corners of the Earth. 

Later, after so many wars and strife Europe found itself at the heart of the industrial revolution, which fuelled and was fuelled by another two world wars. During this period that shaped the most our modern day Europe, we had great technological and industrial advances that unfortunately also came with great tragedies. After the wars Europe was devastated so it had to lean on and accept the help from America, in order to stand on its feet again.

That came with a price: our economies today are modeled after America and are relying on the banking sector and the markets, just like it was decided after the wars, during the cold war period. Our capitalist societies were formed during that time and 70 years later this system is in crisis. Europe is at cross-roads. But it is not just a financial crisis; it is a social, cultural and ethical crisis above all.

After the wars many of our fathers had to live in absolute poverty and deprivation and had to work really hard. So it was very easy to lure them and turn them into over spenders: all it had to be done was to pour bucket loads of cheap money into our economies and their  pockets, created in our banking system with credit and bad loans and that was it. People went mad and wanted to live our version of the “American Dream!” Be able to spend and have the lifestyle they watched for years in the Hollywood films. 

That was going on for decades in our countries. Due to globalization, a phenomenon that again seems to favour the richer of this world, we got rid of our factories and industries and moved them to China because of their very cheap work force. We became manic consumers that even the music we listen to is ephemeral and so we have created reality shows to satisfy our appetite for junk.

We even prefer to eat junk-food. Most of the young kids today in the developed European countries do not want to be doctors or lawyers anymore, rather popular celebrities, foot-balers and foot-balers' wives, pop singers and models. 

So how can we reverse all this decay and not only revive our economies but our culture as well, as those two seem to go hand in hand in Europe’s history? My opinion is to examine as a group of nations what natural resources we have in every country and exploit them collectively. We should set up pan-European bodies that will fund and invest in exploiting those resources, reinstall our industries and invest in new ones like green energy. 

But also invest in reviving and promoting our culture and heritage, our music, cinema, cartoons, art, fashion, architecture and literature. Subsidize the artists and scholars, not the bankers! Michelangelo was subsidised by the then rich religious elite of the time, in order to create his most famous artworks that we still admire today. What are we doing to promote culture to our kids and help them experiment with it and be creative?

We should be exploiting every potential recourse of growth and income we have, not just our banking, property and other financial sectors. Easy profit and money only created bubble economies and we saw the outcome of these recently. But if we want to achieve all the above, we will have to re-educate our youth and promote different kind of role models. 

With that, we should promote legislations that would help young people in Europe to express themselves, start business, start a family or become fully independent as soon as possible and that of course requires to combat youth unemployment. Only then our youth will reach their creative potential. We should establish tax reliefs for the young, not the rich few. New job opportunities in our new industries for all young people, all over Europe not just the rich “North!”

That of course will mean that many will lose their monopolies, especially in the rich countries. We will see a transfer and sharing of wealth, but not in a bail-out form as we are used to now. We won’t have the taxes of the workers of a few countries be used to keep unproductive and easy to manipulate the rest of their “partners.” Rather shared opportunities equally distributed across Europe and not just in few.

New education systems and universities that can be linked or cooperate with each other even more closely than now, will enable our young people to become young scientists. We could use those new scientists to expand our innovation and scientific research.

That in turn will create a new type of industrial revolution. Instead of wasting money in bailing out the banks, securing the interests of the few, keep the status quo and balance of power in place, we will have a collective renaissance across Europe. In all necessary fields: cultural, scientific, industrial and economic. Simply because they all have to go together, if the stability and prosperity is meant to last. 

An educated person with reasonable career opportunities does not easily make the mistakes that many in the hardest hit from the crisis countries like Greece, Portugal and Ireland did over the past decades. Tricked, manipulated and deluded by their leaders who answered to rich elites inside and outside their nations, with limited education and qualifications, is there any wonder that they messed up?

But our leaders instead of promoting growth and investments in all the spheres that I mentioned above, they are looking to promote only economic growth, in the form of bail-outs and support for the banking system. That unfortunately has negative effects in all societies and in Europe collectively. It creates divisions among the European populace and it impoverishes the receivers of this “aid.”

That aid that has as only purpose the exploitation of the natural resources of the weaker nations by the rich elites of the northern European countries. We can see that clearly in the case of Greece, where our lenders ask from us to sell to them heaven and earth, in return for their “generosity” and “support.”

Sixty years ago, while the ashes of Europe were still warm, some enlightened people dreamed of a better, different Europe. And that led to what we called today the E.U. the European Union. But this dream became a nightmare recently, simply because our leaders are so easily corrupted by money and power. They rich elites of some countries dictate the fate of the rest of the continent and drive them into the old feuds, divisions and nationalism, a dangerous mix to have with an economic crisis. 

So instead of unity, diversity, solidarity, and growth we have bigotry, nationalism, greed, protectionism and divisions. The dream of real European renaissance after WW2 was flushed down the drain with the help of billions of euro from the banks, the help of the markets and the rating agencies and the power mongering of our ruling elites. And even still, on the verge of a total and catastrophic collapse, they refuse to invest in our youth’s future rather save and protect the investments of the few.

To me they just reflect the decay that Europe suffers from; we are an old, tired and sick continent. The remedy to this situation is not just a financial one. It must include a cultural and industrial regeneration, a new renaissance that will mark a new path in our history. Hopefully we will be able to walk this path together, united in some form with the common good in mind. A utopia? Most likely. But the more our leaders waste time trying to preserve the interests of the lobbies they answer to, the more this utopia becomes more necessary and urgent!

The second Greek elections, June the 17th, 2012.

It just happened this year for me to be in Greece during the last three weeks before the elections; for some, they were the most important and critical elections of the country's recent history. The importance of the elections, gave them a referendum feel. It was not just a decision on which party the Greeks wanted to lead the country, it was a decision that would have far more serious implications not just for Greece, but for the whole of Europe too.

With the Greek political elite divided in pro-austerity and anti-bail-out parties, the outcome of the elections meant a potential drastic change in the country's politics and Greece's relationship with its European partners. It was bankruptcy, humiliation, poverty and deprivation on one hand and salvation, stability, the country's reputation and recovery on the other.

While the New Democracy, PASOK and some smaller parties supported the idea that the best way for Greece to recover from the crisis was to stick with the austerity measures and do not upset the country's lenders, others had a different point of view. Syriza and other radical parties, both from the right and left suggested that Greece should scrap the austerity deal and renegotiate. The Greeks are generally pro-European and they do want to stay in the euro. but then why all the fuss? Was Syriza wrong to put a question on the bail-out deal? Or was it just "fishing" for the public's support, grabbing the opportunity to become more prominent in the Greek political life by exploiting the public's anger over the austerity measures imposed on them by Europe? 

European leaders reacted badly in Syriza's rise and attitude and they threatened to stop lending money to the country. A move that according to what they supported would be catastrophic for the country. Understandably the lenders always want to secure their investments. That is why they always try to create conditions that will favor a profitable return of their money invested.

Because make no mistake: that's what is all about. The European elites and bankers were speculating all those years and experimenting with a currency that had no central governance. Now that it all falls apart, they rush to secure their investments scapegoating some countries and throwing more debt on them. A debt that must be repaid thus creating a division in Europe; this of the lenders and borrowers. The second will always owe money to the first, and the first will make profit out of the loans. If there was a real European solidarity, the loans they offered to the crisis hit partners of theirs would be interest free. By adding interest on the loans, they also add more debt. How can anyone call this "help" and put conditions to it?

They demand from Greece to stick to the austerity program and do not throw away the "help" it receives from its partners. For this reason the Europeans were trying to convince the Greek people to vote back to power the parties who were the reason that Greece is in the state it is. How is this possible? Now that the Greeks eventually woke up and realized what was happening behind their backs and how they were deceived by their leaders, they want to get rid of them. But this time it is the Europeans who force them to vote the same parties back in power.

Doesn't all this sound absurd? Well no if you are aware of the SIEMENS scandal that rocked Greece a few years ago. The German company was pouring money into both big parties-PASOK/ND- in order to fund their electoral campaigns in exchange for a secured favor when it came in public work contracts, notably in the Olympic Games preparations. The Greek governments were giving SIEMENS most of the public contracts, and they were making money out of those deals receiving Greek public money. So while the German political elite that answers to Germany's industrial and financial elite now blame the “corrupt” Greeks, it was them who where on the other side of the equation, fleecing the Greek public from their money.

In other words, German and other European elites helped the establishment of the two big parties in Greece. Those parties who lied about the country's economy before Greece joined the eurozone; those parties who sold out every resource of the country to foreign multinationals, who never proceeded to necessary reforms in order to modernize Greece, who lied to the Greek people and abused money coming from European funds. Yes there is corruption in Greece, it is no lie; but perhaps this corruption persists because it serves the interests of certain powerful people?

From all the necessary reforms needed to modernize Greece and make it more competitive, very few were implemented. Yet the "Troika" and the Greek government impose salary and social benefit cuts, tax increases and public spending cuts. This is not the way to reform a country, this is the way to lead it to its knees. All we needed was to reform out outdated taxation system, reform and shrink our public sector, make our economy more competitive. Not to pour an immense amount of debt to our children and grand children.

During the daily marathon debates on the Greek television, I experienced scare-mongering tactics from both sides; very similar to what I have experience in Ireland during the Lisbon Treaty Referendum, only much worse. In almost every morning show, news show, late night chat-show, newspapers and magazines the discussions were about what would happened if the Europeans stop giving money to the country. How much we needed those money and what would happen if we returned to the drachma, if we went bankrupt and so on. To me that is the root of the problem; the notion that we need European money to exist and solve our problems is false. Europe needs Greece equally badly, but why this relationship is not taking place on equal terms?

News about the worse stricken groups of people by the crisis were always on the top of the agenda. The case of an eight year old kid fainting at school because he was eating just boiled pasta for a week, as his parents could not afford to feed him properly anymore. Any case of crisis related suicide, or the refusal of the pharmaceutical companies to import medicines in the country fearing that they will never be repaid, leaving Greece with no medicines. The worse case was the fact that cancer patients were obliged to pay for their chemotherapy, a very expensive treatment. In the current economic crisis with no jobs and no money, if you get cancer your cure depends on your wallet! Not the type of reforms I would have dreamed of for Greece or any EU state!

Other documentaries brought to our attention the cases of Argentina and Iceland, what happened in those countries and how the population coped. "A total chaos" many commentators were saying, while the economists mentioned the fact that the countries are not able yet to return to the Markets. Those documentaries described how the supermarkets were left empty, the savings of the people worth half or much less and how anarchy was established there. They described different scenarios, of the military closing the borders of Greece to stop people getting out of the country in the case of Greece leaving the euro-zone, to prevent people trying to exchange euro notes in other countries. Or that perhaps military tanks in the country's cities would patrol outside its banks, to prevent people from attacking and looting them; images that brought back memories from the junta days.

With all this propaganda, stressful and unnerving debates and information, is it any wonder that the New Democracy (N.D.) and the pro-austerity parties eventually won these elections? The Greek public wanted to get rid of the two big parties, the N.D. and PASOK, because they are solely responsible for the country's demise to their eyes. They almost managed to achieve such thing, until the interests of Europe thought otherwise. You see they were making good business with those two corrupt parties, so why accept a change in the status quo? Besides if the Syriza won the elections, every deal that the previous parties signed would be in jeopardy, thus the Europeans would be in danger of losing their investments in Greece.

So we had Mrs Merkel the German Chancelor, Mr Schauble-Germany's Finance Minister and Mrs Lagarde-Head of the IMF, daily on our national television threatening us and making suggestions. Mrs Lagarde even dared to proceed in vile comments against the Greek people, when she does not pay any taxes herself. From all the above it was clear that there was an agenda, but what was it?

The French Presidend Mr Hollande stated in a recent interview in MEGA Channel, a Greek TV station, “there are forces in Europe that they would love to see Greece out of the euro-zone; don’t make them the favor.”To me that translates as such: Greece is being used as a scapegoat for the euro-zone crisis, when all of Europe is to blame, notably the elites of the most powerful nations in it like Germany. If they had set up the euro-zone membership rules better and created a more functioning true financial union, not just a currency union, Europe would not be in this mess.

Their sins come to bite them back now and they want to find a quick solution to the problem, by kicking Greece out. They do not want to do what it must be done in this case, meaning a true fiscal union, the creation of the euro-bonds etc. They just want to bully the Greeks and some other states to pay for all the damage, or they are threatening them with expulsion of their "club." Have you watched how they pushed Spain into another bail-out , a “light” bail-out as they described it, because they did not involve the IMF this time. The Spaniards did show more courage to stand up for their people, but of course they had stronger cards to play: they are the euro-zone's fourth largest economy and they did not waste so much money as the Greek corrupt elite did. Though Germany still would like to see Spain in the arms of the IMF and more austerity as in Greece.

So had the Greeks any alternative choice? Not really! Syriza and its leader could not achieve all that they were promising. They do not have the experience and given the situation it would be very hard to find cards to negotiate. Unfortunately Greece is not like Iceland. We are in the EU and the euro-zone and that comes with certain obligations and benefits. Nevertheless Syriza could really shuffle some feathers and I am really glad they formed a strong opposition in the Greek Parliament. Not that I support them or their policies; I find them rather populist. But at least they heated up the debate and forced the other large parties to promise re-negotiation of the bail-out deal, in order to counterpart the public's support for Syriza. Because such renegotiation is needed, especially now that Spain has managed to avoid such harsh austerity in order to receive money from its partners. And we have a socialist French President that also promised to put an end to Merkel's austerity obsession.

Now will Greece's and Europe's leaders keep their promises?The Greeks swallowed the pill and believed what the European leaders were telling them to do, for "their own good". Now the ball is with them, to prove them right and do not disappoint them. The Greek people compromised, so what will the European leaders do to meet them half way? Will they start the recovery of Greece's economy with the growth stimulus and support that they promised to them? We are waiting!

Η πολυπολιτισμικότητα στην Ευρώπη.

Είμαι Έλληνας και διαμένω μόνιμα στο Δουβλίνο της Ιρλανδίας. Από περιέργεια και ενθουσιασμό αποφάσισα να ταξιδέψω στην Ευρώπη πρίν λίγα χρόνια, αλλά η μοίρα όπως λένε τα έφερε αλλιώς και αποφάσισα να μείνω μόνιμα στο εξωτερικό.

Πριν αποφασίσω να φύγω από την πατρίδα μου, πάντα ήθελα να δω μια Ελλάδα εκμοντερνισμένη, κοσμοπολίτικη και «πολύχρωμη» ή αλλιώς πολυπολιτισμική. Όχι επειδή είναι «της μόδας» στην Ευρώπη. 

Αλλά επειδή προσωπικά πιστεύω οτι σαν χώρα χρειαζόμαστε να έρθουμε σε επαφή περισσότερο με άλλες εθνικότητες, και να μάθουμε να σκεπτόμαστε ως Ευρωπαίοι και πολίτες του κόσμου. Αν θέλουμε φυσικά να εκμεταλευτούμε την παγκοσμιοποίηση και τα προτερήματα που προσφέρει.

Η παγκοσμιοποίηση ειναι γεγονός πλέον και όλα τα έθνη προετοιμάζονται για το νέο «στάτους κβο» στον πλανήτη μας. Η διασικασία έχει ξεκινήσει πριν απο αιώνες με τις Ευρωπαικές κατακτήσεις και αποικιοκρατία, και εχει εξελιχθεί στην σημερινή μορφή της μετά απο διάφορες ιδεολογικές διαμάχες και πολέμους.

Αλλά ο πολυπολιτισμός δίνει προτερήματα σε μια κοινωνία, όταν οι κυβερνήσεις διαχειρίζονται τις αλλαγές στην κοινωνία αυτή θετικά, δίκαια και πάντα με την συμβολή της κοινής γνώμης. Όταν άρχισα να ταξιδεύω στην Ευρ΄βπη, είδα οτι οι περισσότερες Ευρωπαικές χώρες είχαν αποτύχει σε πολλά θέματα ως προς την εδραίωση μια πετυχημένης πολυπολιτισμικής κοινωνίας. Αυτό δεν σημαίνει οτι η ιδέα της πολυπολιτισμικτητας ειναι λάθος. Απλά λάθος την διαχειριζόμαστε στην Ευρώπη.

Και αυτό συμβαίνει για δεκαετίες, με μόνο αποτέλεσμα την άνοδο της ακροδεξιάς σε πολλές χώρες της ηπείρου μας, την αποξένωση και απομόνωση των μεταναστών και την «γκεττοποίηση» τους, αλλά και εγκληματικές τρομοκρατικές επιθέσεις όπως αυτή στην Νορβηγία.

Όταν επισκεύτηκα το Βέλγιο και είδα οτι η πλειοψηφία των νέων ανδρών Μαροκινής καταγωγής ήταν άνεργοι και βασιζόταν στο ταμείο ανεργείας για την επιβίωση τους, τότε άρχισα να σκεύτομαι τι μπορεί να συμβεί και στην χώρα μας. Τί νόημα έχει να δίνεις άδεια σε εναν μεγάλο αριθμό μεταναστών να εισέλθουν στην χώρα σου, αν ειναι να τους φέρεσαι σαν πολίτες δεύτερης κατηγορίας με άνισα δικαιάματα.

Άρχισα να καταλαβαίνω οτι ένα τέτοιου στυλ πολυπολιτισμικότητας δεν είναι τίποτε άλλο παρά ένα μοντέρνο είδος δουλείας. Οι μετανάστες ποτέ δεν γίνονται μέλη της κοινωνίας όπου ζουν, ακόμα και εάν αποκτήσουν την υπηκοότητα. Αυτό τους κάνει πιο ευάλωτους σε εκμετάλευση και τους καταδικάζει να κάνουν τις χαμηλόμισθες δουλειές σε μια κοινωνία.

Πολοί από αυτους αρχίζουν να εκμεταλεύονται το «σύστημα» και  θεωρούνται πλέον ως παράσιτα απο τον υπόλοιπο αυτόχθονο πλυθησμό. Και φυσικά με κάθε οικονομική κρίση οι μετανάστες και τα λάθη ή προβλήματα που φέρνουν σε μια κοινωνία είναι τα πρώτα που σηζητούνται. Το θέμα είναι γιατί μια χώρα επιτρέπει έναν μεγάλο αριθμό μεταναστών στη χώρα, όταν δεν έχει την δυνατότητα η την πρόθεση να τους δώσει ίσα δικαιώματα με τον υπόλοιπο πλυθησμό.

Για μένα προσωπικά, μια χώρα για να επωφεληθεί από τον πολυπολιτισμό θα πρέπει να έχει εντάξει τους μετανάστες απόλυτα στην κοινωνία ισότιμα. Με πολιτικά και κοινωνικά δικαιώματα, και ίση αντιμετώπιση. Απο την στιγμή που κάποιος εισεέρχεται σε μια χώρα νόμιμα, πληρώνει φόρους και συνδράμει με αυτό τον τρόπο στην οικονομία της χώρας αυτής, πρέπει να έχει και λόγο στο πώς θα χρησιμοποιηθο΄θν οι φόροι του.

Εξ'άλλου ποιό το όφελος των μεταναστών, αν τους φιμώνουμε και αποκλείουμε έτσι νέες πιθανές ιδέες και γνώμες, ή ακόμα και κριτική της κοινωνίας που ζούμε. Φυσικά μιλώ για νόμιμη μετανάστευση και όχι παράνομη.  Γιατί η παράνομη μετανάστευση συνδράμει στην εγκληματικότητα και το λαθρεμπόρειο, ή ακόμα και την παράνομη διακίνηση αθρώπων με σκοπό την εκμεταλευσή τους.

Η παράνομη μετανάστευση δεν πρέπει σε καμία περίπτωση να γίνεται αποδεχτή σε μία κοινωνία. Για τον απλό λόγο οτι ενθαρρύνει φαινόμενα όπως η βίαιη και παράνομη μετακίνηση γυναικών απο τρίτες χώρες εκτός Ευρώπης η Ευρωπαικής Ένωσης, με σκοπό την προώθηση τους στην πορνεία.

Μια κοινωνία θα πρέπει να δημιουργήσει μια ελεγχόμενη και πλήρως λειτουργική μεταναστευτική πολιτική, ώστε να ελκύει τα σωστά άτομα, με τις σωστές ειδιόοτητες και σπουδές. Σε αριθμούς που δεν θα επιτρέπουν μελλοντική ανεργεία και γκεττοποίηση, αλλά ανάλογα με τις ανάγκες κάθε χώρας για εξειδικευμένο ή ανειδίκευτο εργατικό προσωπικό.

Αλλά ίσως εέα άλλο θέμα είναι και η χωρα προέλευσης των μεταναστών. Σε ορισμένες περιπτώσεις κάποιες εθνικότητες , αντιμετωπίζουν δυσκολίες στο να ενταχτούν στην κοινωνία όπου ζουν, και αυτό μπορεί να οφείλεται και σε παράγοντες διάκρισης και ρατσισμού, όσο και προκαταλήψεις ή θέματα κουλτούρας της χώρας προελευσής τους.

Κυρίως υπήκοοι από κάποιες μουσουλμανικές χώρες της Ασίας,  αντιμετωπίζουν δυσκολίες στο να παντρέψουν την κουλτούρα της χώρας καταγωγής τους με την Ερωπαική κουλτούρα, και έτσι να ενταχτούν πιο εύκολα και γρήγορα στην κοινωνία όπου επέλεξαν να ζουν. Με αποτέλεσμα να καλλιεργούν αισθήματα μίσους η αντιπάθειας πρός την χώρα που τους φιλοξενεί. 

Πιθανές λύσεις είναι η εκδημοκράτιση των χωρών προέλευσης τους μεσω διάφορων θεσμών και προγραμμάτων, με την συμμετοχή και της Ε.Ε. και των κρατών μελών της, αλλά και των χωρών προέλευσης των μεταναστών. Κάμψη του αριθμού μεταναστών από τις χώρες αυτές και αναζήτηση πιο κατάληλου εργατικού δυναμικού που να είναι πιο κοντά στην Ευρωπαική κουλτούρα. Όπως για παράδειγμα πολλά κράτη της Νότιας Αμερικής.

Και τέλος, ενσωμάτωση των μεταναστών μέσω διαφόρων προγραμμάτων που να τους επιτρέπει να καταλάβουν την κουλτούρα της χώρας, αλλά και να φέρουν όλες τις κοινότητες που ζουν σε αυτή πιο κοντά. Οι τέχνες και ο αθλητισμός είναι δύο μέσα που θα μπορούσαν να χρησιμοποιηθούν κατάλληλα για την σύσφιξη των σχέσεων των μεταναστών και του εντόπιου πλυθησμού.

Η προσωπική μου άποψη είναι ότι θα πρέπει να έχουμε λιγότερη μετανάστευση στην Ευρώπη, αλλά με πλήρη ένταξη των μεταναστών αυτών στην κοινωνία μας και με ίσα δικαιώματα ως πολίτες. Η μετανάστευση του ανθρώπινου γένους, υπήρξε και θα υπάρχει πάντα και συνετέλεσε στην δημιουργία όλων των πολιτισμών του πλανήτη μας, συμπεριλαμβανομένου και του Ελληνικού. Το να πιστεύει  κανείς οτι απλά μπορούμε να σταματήσουμε την μετανάστευση των ανθρώπων είναι απλά ανόητο.

Αυτό φυσικά δεν σημαίνει οτί θα πρέπει να ανοίξουμε άλα τα σύνορα και να αφήνουμε την μετανάστευση στη χώρα μας ανεξέλενκτη. Αν κάτι τέτοιο συμβεί ποτέ θα είναι σε μια ουτοπική παγκόσμια κοινωνία, με όλα τα κράτη να έχουν το ίδιο βιοτικό επίπεδο και οι άνθρωποι να μεταναστεύουν απλά από ευχαρίστηση, για σπουδές η από ενδιαφέρον.

Προς το παρών κάτι τέτοιο δεν έχει επιτευχθεί. Και ούτε είμαι πρόθημος να υποβιβάσω τον Ελληνικό ή τον Ευρωπαικό πολιτισμό και τρόπο ζωής ώστε να πιστεύω ότι ο κόσμος θα είναι καλύτερος χωρίς αυτούς. Δεν επιθυμώ την αλλοίωση, όπως το βλέπουν μερικοί, του τρόπου ζωής ή του πολιτισμού μας με την άφιξη αλλοεθνών ανάμεσα μας. Παρά μόνο την εμπλούτιση του Ελληνικού πολιτισμού με αυτό των άλλων εθνικοτήτων. Αλλά αυτό μπορεί να εφιχθεί μόνο με υπεύθυνη και ελεγχόμενη μεταναστευτική πολιτκή, κάτι που προς το παρών η Ελλάδα αλλά και η Ευρώπη αδυνατούν να δημιουργήσουν.

Το γιατί φυσικά βρίσκεται στα συμφέροντα και την απληστία των ανθρώπων, που θέλουν να εκμεταλευτούν άλλα ανθρώπινα όντα και την αέναη επιθυμία τους για ισχύ και χρήμα. Μια κοινή Ευρωπαική μεταναστευτική πολιτική θα ήταν ένας θεσμός μεγάλης βοήθειας, αλλά όπως και οτιδήποτε άλλο στην ηπειρό μας, είναι πολύ δύσκολο να επιτευχθεί με ομοφωνία. Ειδικά όταν τα συμφέροντα των διαφόρων κρατών μελών, συγκρούονται και κρατάνε ακόμα το άρωμα της αποικιοκρατίας.

Κρίμα γιατί αυτοί που χάνουμε είμαστε εμείς. Η Αμερική, ο Καναδάς και η Αυστραλία έχουν δημιουργήσει επιτυχημένες ώς επι το πλείστο μεταναστευτικές πολιτικές, ώστε να προσελκύουν εργάτες με τις ειδικότητες που θέλουν, από τις χώρες που θέλουν. Εμείς στην Ευρώπη εν αντιθέσει αφήνουμε κατά βάση ανειδίκευτους εργάτες να εισέλθουν στις χώρες μας, και σε πολλές περιπτώσεις με πολύ λίγη μόρφωση.

Και διερωτώνται μερικοί γιατί η μετανάστευση στην Ευρώπη έχει αποτύχει. Μα αφού το μόνο που ζητούμε είναι φτηνό εργατικό δυναμικό και στην ουσία σκλάβους να κάνουν τις δουλειές που δεν θέλουμε να κάνουμε εμείς. Πώς εντάσεις στην κοινωνία σου έναν σκλάβο? Και τί οφέλη μπορείς να περιμένεις από αυτούς, εκτός από την ακούραστη εργασία τους? Όταν όμως δεν τους χρειάζεσαι άλλο τότε τι γίνεται? Απλά τους εντάσεις στα ταμεία ανεργείας εις αεί, με την ελπίδα πως αυτοί και το οικονομικό και κοινωνικό πρόβλημα που δημιουργούν απλά θα εξαφανιστούν ώς δια μαγείας.

Με τέτοιες αντιλήψεις στην Ελλάδα αλλά και την Ευρώπη γενικά, πιστεύω πως όχι μόνο δεν πρόκειται να πάμε μπροστά, ή να λύσουμε τα διάφορα προβλήματα που μας απασχολούν, αλλα και οτι δεν έχουμε ιδέα για το τί κάνουμε, τί θέλουμε και για το τί θα μπορούσαμε να έχουμε.

The new EU Fiscal Treaty referendum in Ireland. May the 31st, 2012.

In exactly 8 days the Irish electorate will be called to vote on yet another EU Treaty Referendum. This time on the EU's Fiscal Treaty, or the "Stability Treaty" as the Irish Government has put it in its campaign. Ireland's constitution requires a referendum each time there are going to be changes on it, to be approved by the electorate with a YES or NO vote.

It is not very easy to get a clear answer with a yes or a no, especially when the question can not be presented to the people in a format that will require just two answers. The hardest thing will be to persuade the Irish voters to vote for something that only the Irish political elite understands its importance!

But how is the debate in Ireland faring? So far the YES side has an advantage, yet there is a large undecided portion of the electorate that could swing the result either way. About a third of Irish people are still undecided. So the debate is heating up for the past two weeks, in an effort to influence the public opinion.

The result of the referendum won't have any immediate impact to the rest of the EU states or the Treaty's implementation, since the Treaty requires 12 out 17 eurozone states to ratify it in order to be implemented. So even if Ireland votes NO, the Treaty can still be ratified if the majority of the other EU states approve it. This Treaty is very important for the economic future of Ireland, but that of Europe too.

Though Ireland's decision can not be decisive this time like in the case of the Lisbon Treaty referendum, nevertheless the "Eurosceptic" groups have already landed on Ireland to push for a NO vote. Mr. Nigel Farage MEP, a well known British eurosceptic but also Mr. Declan Ganley, founder of the eurosceptic group "Libertas" are already here to help defeat the Treaty. Understandably though, all eyes of Europe are on Greece and France at the moment. Because of the recent developments and huge changes that happened there after the recent elections in both countries.

Some are calling for a postponing of the referendum in Ireland, on the grounds that Ireland should not vote and expose itself if the vote is NO, in case of a formation of a Greek anti-austerity government that might lead to the country's exit from the eurozone. Or if Mr. Hollande, France's new President, manages to end or losen the German led austerity policies in EU.

The effects of either developments though, won't be known for months to come and Ireland's Taoiseach Mr. Enda Kenny TD has declined any calls to postpone the referendum. Besides, even if Hollande and the Greeks manage to convince the rest of Europe and especially Germany on a growth pact for EU, this Treaty won't be renegotiated.

The Irish Government and many other political groups supporting the Treaty, have launched a "myth debunking" to counterpart the NO supporter's  claims that link this Treaty with austerity. The NO side has linked every austerity measure approved by the Government, like the new household and water charges to the Treaty in order to gain support. I generally disagree with the NO campaigners' stance, though I totally understand their reservations. But by trying to exploit the current economic crisis and the public's disapproval of the austerity measures in order to gain support, they are in danger of failure.

This Treaty is not an EU Treaty, rather an intergovernmental agreement, a promise of one state to each other in keeping their books in order. Now why this hasn't been happening until now and we need this Treaty to bind our leaders to do the "right thing," keeping some budgetary discipline that the eurozone membership requires, is something that I do not understand.

Our leaders seem to behave like children that do not trust each other and need to put in place different treaties to make sure no one cheats. If the Czech Republic and Britain had agreed to be part of this Treaty, then it would be an EU Treaty. There are plans and hopes though that this Treaty will be incorporated into EU law in 5 years time. In this case the Irish might be called to vote again anyway.

The Treaty has nothing to do with the recent water and household charges, and it won't increase those charges if it comes into effect. The Treaty does allow some policy flexibility in exceptional circumstances, like a severe economic downturn. It does not affect Ireland's taxation system and its corporation tax rate remains untouched. But Ireland won't be able to get a bailout or any funds from the ESM (European Stability Mechanism), the EU’s new bailout mechanism if it votes NO. Other suggested sources for future funding are heavily disputed.

In a nutshell, we do need to control our finances and how much debt we can afford to accumulate. Since we share the same currency such move only makes sense. I do not understand why something like this was not happening until now. Huge levels of unsustainable debt is one of the reasons why Europe is in the grip of this recession. So any treaty that controls our debt and provides with a safety net from which we could draw funds to deal with any future crisis makes sense.

The only argument that I will give to the NO campaigners, is that if we examine the current pro-austerity policies that most European elites seem to follow, then it is clear from where our governments will be keen to cut funds in order to keep their country's debt low; from the social welfare, the salaries and benefits of the workers.

Now in some cases a reform is necessary and long overdue. But as we have seen in the case of Greece, harsh austerity without growth initiatives simply do not work. So what I would really like to hear from our governments, is what policies are they willing to create in order to keep their country's debt in check, in order for me to support fully the Treaty.

Yes, it is fair for the creditor countries to get safeguards that other countries won't act irresponsible, and we got to accept that when in the eurozone, you can not have full fiscal independence anyway. We got to prevent countries of borrowing too much. But punishing the countries that break the rules did not always worked in the past, so what make us believe that it will this time.

This Treaty is only part of the solution to the eurozone crisis. Growth initiatives, the eurobonds and other measures must also be included and promoted in the revival of the eurozone. 

Austerity was accepted by signing the IMF/EU bail outs deals; can we avoid austerity by voting NO now? Can we reverse the austerity packages and annul what our previous governments have signed to already? In Greece the Syriza party and its leader Mr. Tsipras believe so. It only remains to be seen how they are going to achieve such thing.

But this Treaty is not only about austerity. It will allow Ireland to have access to funds, a benefit that with this Treaty now is linked to its ratification; there was not such obligation in the Stability and Growth Pact 2011. Other differences of this Treaty with the Growth Pact are that the structural deficit target is subject to enforcement and that the targets must be incorporated into national legislation. Thus they are far more binding.

Ireland will be contributing to the stability of the euro currency and  show a sign of good will to foreign investors that the country is committed to the euro and continue to invest in the country, by voting YES. A member state is still free to reach balanced budgets by their own policies, provided the targets are reached. Coordination of economic policies are encouraged, but not harmonization.

The European Commission and Council will monitor a state's progress and a member state can submit its observations on the Commission's report. The Commission may then recommend to the Council that action must be taken and refer the matter to the European Court of Justice. If another member feels a state is in breach of the terms of the Treaty, it may bring the matter to the European Court of Justice.

 In other words, each state is not only responsible for its own finances, but it can take action against those who do not comply by the rules. No wonder then Britain and other "Eurosceptic" states are against the Treaty. They just want to keep the perks of fostering the markets' manipulators and big bankers and so they are trying hard to stop this Treaty.

So what will the Irish people eventually vote for? I have to say that this campaign is far more organized than the Lisbon Treaty referendum, and it gives far more information to the issues that matter the most. But as in the Lisbon referendum, the promised stability and job creating did not really arrived, even after the Irish voters ratified it.

There are a lot of weaknesses in the eurozone and the "European Project" that need to be addressed and solved first, before we can promise the European population long lasting stability. Can we expect now the Irish voters to trust their political elites this time? Will the Stability Treaty bring the much needed stability in Europe and if yes, for how long? Perhaps until the next crisis?