.
The IMF has indeed installed in Europe. Mandated by the European Union, he pursued the same policy he coolly distilled from the 1980s to developing countries with "structural adjustment plans " baptized in the North " plans rigor "or" austerity measures. " And now it forces European countries to swallow his kitchen as a condition of neoliberal promised money and claims to judge the policies of the democratically ... elected
To ensure the implementation of the austerity plan, the IMF has since the beginning of the installed an office in Athens. His "expert" evaluate the policy of the Greek government: the payment of the loan is suspended for their validation. This summer, he asked to privatize the Greek Public Power Corporation (DEI), owned 51% by the state and strengthen expenditure control "of local authorities and hospitals."
This is bringing the deficit within 3% of GDP to "reassure the markets." The IMF is carrying so without any consideration of long-term and especially without taking into account the social situation of the country. The fate of the Greek population is thus between hands of a handful of people in defiance of democracy and popular sovereignty. Meanwhile, unemployment reached 15% in Greece, the recession is 4% in 2010 and estimated at 2.5% for 2011!
When the IMF practice blackmail and encourages rigor
Greece is a prime example but the logic is the same everywhere in Europe. In Romania for example the IMF requires the government to increase tariffs by 10% of public transport and reduce the number of teachers. This is in addition to the elimination of 30,000 positions in the civil service and reducing wages by 25%. VAT had been increased from 19% to 24%.
In May 2009 a loan of 2.9 billion euros was granted to Serbia if Belgrade reduce its public administration 10% and freeze wages in the public sector and pensions until April 2011 . These measures have plunged the country into a severe recession, the Serbian government wanted to increase pensions and wages and report longer-term deficit reduction. The IMF has opposed: the loan will be made only if the objective of reducing public deficits is reached on the date originally agreed.
Similarly in Bosnia, the IMF postponed the payment of the fourth tranche of the loan (granted in 2009) 38 million euros. It requires that the government adopt a law on salaries in institutions of power, preparing pension reform to reduce social spending and revises the allowances paid to war veterans of the 1990s.
In Spain, according to the IMF, "the English authorities have taken corrective action," insinuating necessary to reduce the deficit and not to further the public interest. The reforms of the banking system or labor law (less severance pay, more flexibility) are especially acclaimed. But "additional measures should be prepared." The government should "go further" even after the reform of the labor market, the IMF said, forever more "flexibility." In May, the IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, had found the English labor market too "rigid" and called for reforms "urgent" to address them.
For France, An IMF report welcomed "the ambitious reform program" by Nicolas Sarkozy, including pension reform, and welcomes all measures to reduce state spending already announced for 2011. He applauded the increasing age of retirement, but calls on France to make "extra efforts" to save money. Inspectors IMF experts encourage "stronger limitation of spending on social security and health" and supervision "strict" of local government spending. Yet France has weathered the crisis better than its European neighbors because of its protection system social. Local authorities provide for their 71% of public investment spending. The measures advocated by the IMF would plunge into recession thus France and would have devastating social consequences.
When the IMF criticized the taxation of financial markets
The German parliament voted last July to ban short sales of shares in the financial markets. These transactions involve selling assets that one does not already own, but they will buy later speculating on falling markets to pocket a profit. The IMF has criticized the measure: "There is little evidence of the effectiveness of the ban on short selling." Instead he says, "the effectiveness and quality of markets have actually deteriorated considerably following the introduction of the various prohibitions. In essence, the IMF economists, one should allow the market regulation reduces the efficiency and quality of markets, it is responsible for the crisis.
The Hungarian parliament has voted him the introduction of a windfall tax on banks and insurance companies which should help raise nearly $ 700 million. The IMF has condemned the level of tax could slow growth and to troubled banks. He suspended the negotiations and the payment of the next loan tranche of 20 billion euros granted in October 2008. This decision is once again evidence of the ideological crusade led by the IMF. Indeed, elsewhere in Europe, are the measures recommended by the IMF as the VAT increase or reduction in public spending that reduce growth and threaten to plunge the country if not already in- recession.
Accept IMF loan simply means loss of sovereignty. Assistance to countries in difficulty is not neutral, it allows each time that measures affecting the population's most fragile and preserve the pensions of the richest markets.
summer ending has not been synonymous with vacation for the IMF. France has nothing to do in this organization and nothing to gain if its director general, the highest paid official in Washington, was the candidate of the PS in the next presidential election ...
Flickr photo-cc: DSK by Christian ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/38131656 @ N00/295773931 / )
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