The public debt’s trap : is there a (democratic) way out? (or should next generations pay for their whole lives ?)

Study day in London 
Sept. 30th 2011 [ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm ]

Find the mobilisation video on youtube: www.youtube.com/watch

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 [1]

Program 

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 ?

Venue : New Economics Foundation  -  3 Jonathan Street, London SE11 5NH. near Vauxhall tube station (direct and fast tube line from Eurostar Kings Cross, Euston and Victoria stations)

( http://www.neweconomics.org )

Languages : English and French

 TIMETABLE

10:00                           Welcome - inscriptions

10:15-10h30              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 - 17h30            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'

17h30-17h45:            Conclusions and follow-up JSC & CoR

[1]   on behalf of JSC I.C. : Felipe Van Keirsbilck – CSC Belgium ; Franco Carminati – Attac ; Walter Baier – Transform!; Hilary Wainwright – T.N.I.