The Public Debt’s Trap: Is there a (Democratic) Way Out? (or Should Next Generations Pay for their Whole Lives ?)

30 November 2011
London

10.00 – 18.00

Venue:
New Economics Foundation,
http://www.neweconomics.org
3 Jonathan Street
London SE11 5NH
(near Vauxhall tube station)

Find the mobilisation video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBGMKqby510

Organisation: Joint Social Conference (JSC) with support of Coalition of Resistance (CoR) – UK, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and TNI (TransNational Institute)

General coordination: JSC Initiative Committee
On behalf of JSC I.C. : Felipe Van Keirsbilck – CSC Belgium ; Franco Carminati – Attac ; Walter Baier – Transform!; Hilary Wainwright – T.N.I.

Programme

The program is in three parts:

1.       How european democracies fell in the trap
2.       Situation of the people and of the struggles
3.       Alternatives : is there a way out of the trap ?

Languages : English and French

TIMETABLE

10.00: Welcome – inscriptions

10.15-10.30: Introduction

  • welcome by a british TU leader and someone from New Economics 10′
  • presenting JSC and the global program  5′

 

10.30-12.15: Part I – coordination & chair: Transform! (Walter Baier /  Elisabeth Gauthier)

Causes of the debt crisis in Europe: How European democracies fell in the trap

  • General causes of the public imbalances in Europe (Michael Jäger – Fachhochschule BFI WIEN) 30’
  • Role of Germany in the European imbalances (Steffen Lehndorff – University of Duisburg-Essen) 20’
  • Debts, austerity and nationalism (Walter Baier) 10’
  • Discussion 40’
  • conclusions 5′

12.15 – 13.15: Lunch

13.15 – 15.00: Part II – coordination: a (British ?) trade union leader

Situation of the struggles & peoples in Europe

  • People’s movements in front of ECB & IMF  (Costas Lapavitsas – New Economics) 20’
  • Greece (Elena Papadopoulo  -Nicos Poulantzas Institute) 15’
  • countries at the limit of the trap (Ireland-Andy Muray, Portugal-Cavalho-CGTP, Spain- Attac.Spain and ELA, Hungary : Karoly Gyorgy MSZ OSZ, Italy – L. Tartaglia CGIL)
  • Discussion 35’
  • Conclusions 5′

15.00 – 15.30: Break

15.30 – 17.30: Part III – coordination: JSC – attac (Franco Carminati)

Alternatives : is there a (democratic) way out ? The ECB – eurozone – IMF “solution” : saving Greece …or the banks ?

  • The Trade Unions analysis of the “saving plans” (Ronald Janssen, ETUC/ETUI) 20’
  • Just taxation as way out of the crisis  25′
  • Taxation and deficits – tax heavens (PCS / TJN) 15’
  • Taxation on corporations and property in Europe (JSC/Franco Carminati) 10’
  • Debt auditing  20’
  • Auditing debt in Greece & in other countries ? (20′ ; Myriam Bourgy – CADTM)
  • Cooperation or competition in EU : is the debt a national issue, or a social one ? Michel Husson Conseil Scientifique Attac – 20’
  • Discussion (30’)
  • Conclusions: (Franco Carminati) 5′

17.30-17.45: Conclusions and follow-up JSC & CoR