Żminijietna – Voice of the Left describes the communication issued by the European Commission for the European Strategy 2020, which advocates “a European platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion” as a vague proposal, which ultimately will not address the real problems that are causing poverty across Europe.

The Lisbon Strategy 2000/10 was a total failure as poverty in the European Union increased and not decreased. The number of people living in poverty soared from 55 million to 85 million. The policy adopted in the Lisbon strategy was the cause of this failure.

Żminijietna believes that we cannot get a reduction in poverty with a neo-liberal agenda and policies. It is admirable to reduce unemployment in order to address poverty, but the fact that the labour market is becoming more precarious, with more jobs on a part-time basis and fixed-term contracts, certainly will not help to address the problem of poverty.

It is regrettable that the European Union and the authorities in Malta are unwilling to accept that this new phenomenon of precarious employment is a major source of the problem. They only talk about job creation but not on the type of jobs to be created. They avoid talking about decent, secure and quality jobs.

The same can be said with regards the EU governance package, which was passed recently in the European Parliament.

The package goes against the concept of Social Europe and breaks away from the spirit of this communication.

The European Commission must decide between a social and ecological Europe, or a neo-liberal Europe. If the latter is chosen, then it is useless to talk about EU strategies to reduce poverty and develop in a sustainable way.

On the other hand the Maltese government should take a clear position for a social and ecological Europe by voting in favour of the EU maternity leave directive and for a European taxation on bank transactions. To date, the government is playing it’s part in this European social failure.

■ Joe Attard

Żminijietna – Voice of the Left