GUE/NGL MEPs have reacted to today's adoption in the Employment and Social Affairs committee (EMPL) of a key report as part of Parliament's Troika inquiry.

The report's aim was to look into how the Troika has affected employment, workers' rights and social welfare in Eurozone programme countries.

GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer said: “The EMPL vote today did not give the Troika the red card. The Troika is undemocratic, it failed economically and burdened the most marginalised, the sick, the old, and the young with the costs of the crisis. The EMPL committee should have clearly stated that Troika measures breach human rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental rights.”

Reacting to the vote, Paul Murphy said: “The report is sadly a missed opportunity to show the real impact of austerity on ordinary people. It is overly positive about change being on the horizon and on the possibility of 'fair' austerity. The Troika and their partners in government should not hide behind empty spin and false arguments but should take responsibility for the social catastrophe they have caused, their austerity measures should be ended and radically different policies should be put in place to end the misery of millions of ordinary people.”

Inês Zuber adds: “It's urgent and necessary to abolish the Troika and the Memoranda and all political measures that destroy workers and ordinary people's lives, as well as public services, in what is a civilisational setback. There will never be a solution based on the same policies. Besides the rhetoric, the outcome of this report clearly exposes the right-wing and social-democrat intent to follow the same policies with or without the Troika.”

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