Following a European Parliament plenary vote today which saw MEPs give their green light to the latest European Semester economic policy recommendations, GUE/NGL MEP Marisa Matias has described them as more of the same “disastrous” EU economic policies.

“If you really want budgetary consolidation, what you have to do is tackle a real problem we have, which is unemployment,” commented the Portuguese MEP, shadow rapporteur on the file for the Group. “Unless you look at unemployment you can't make progress in areas like research, gender equality, and the environment.”

She continued: “EU economic policy has been particularly damaging for periphery economies. The European Semester is part of the problem; we are weakening democracy; countries can't decide on their own budgetary policies.

“None of the goals put forward in economic policy under the European Semester have actually ever been reached. Let's call a spade a spade – this is a budgetary policy that is against growth. You are coming up with more of the same which has been disastrous for the European economy. We can't support a proposal which keeps attacking periphery economies.”

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:
Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
European United Left / Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group