On the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer has today highlighted the role austerity measures have played in causing Europe's poverty levels to sky-rocket. 

She said: “Poverty is not some natural phenomenon. It is a symptom of the global economic order which is fundamentally unjust and exploitative. EU governments must take responsibility for the role they have played in pushing more people into poverty and destitution across Europe.

“There are 500 million people in the EU and 120 million of them are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, while 50 million of them live in a household where no-one is employed. What are EU governments doing to help those people?”

Zimmer continued: “We see social budgets cut time and time again and the breaking down of so-called 'barriers' that hinder growth in the name of competitiveness. What we really need is large-scale investment in sustainable public works projects and social protections respected.

“If there is never any fear of running out of money to fund foreign military interventions, how come we can't prioritise helping the poorest people in Europe, the marginalised who live on the fringes of society?”

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