Le Monde: Greece is a European protectorate

Ramonet Ignacio

Friday 9 mars 2012, by Kaimaki Valia (greek translation), 



The February 21, 2012 is now in Greece, the date of the Great  surrender . It is the day, that with the promise of half a European aid package, the Greek government accepted the humiliating conditions imposed by the "gang of triple A" at the meeting of the Eurogroup, which is controled by Germany: draconian cuts in public spending cuts in minimum wages in the private sector and pensions, redundancy of 150,000 civil servants, tax increases, massive privatizations ...Yet the Greeks had already suffered a real 'financial coup' on 10 November, when Berlin impose an three party government, composed of social democrats, conservatives and the far-right under the Lucas Papademos, former Vice President of the European Central Bank . But the sacrifice, after the incredibly tough shock therapy suffered for four years, did not benefit anything.This time, the hit is even more serious, because Athens was asked a huge concession of sovereignty, "probably the largest assigned by a country in peacetime." [1] In fact, Greece was under the supervision of the European Union and, now, regarding the budget and public finances, has only a "limited sovereignty".The attack to Greece was expected. After all,this is an excellent means of exemplary to other Eurozone countries facing difficulties (Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy). As early as July 2011, Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg Prime Minister and President of the Eurogroup [2] was warning: "The sovereignty of Greece would be significantly reduced." [3] In January 27 this year, the British newspaper «Financial Times» has published a German document called  Athens to host a permanent commissioner with veto power, to oversee the state budget and to block anything non-permissible by creditors out of Greece. Finally, on the eve of the Agreement, in an interview to the German weekly magazine «Der Spiegel»,  Volcker Kauder , leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Parliament, went further, calling the mission in Greece, "German officials to help Creating an efficient financial management. " The same request was also made  the country's finance minister himself, Philip Ressler.

Not there yet, but the agreement of February 21 states' permanent presence in Greece of a mission of European Commission "to monitor and oversee the balance sheet, and" an enhanced presence of the troika to oversee the permanent debt service ".The the assistance funds that were transferred, will be placed in a closed account to which only the troika will have access and not the Greek government.This account shall be used exclusively for servicing the national debt and not paying salaries and pensions. The new Greek government bonds would no longer be subject to Greek law, but to the British ... And in case of disagreement between Athens and its private creditors, will be judged, not in Greece but in Luxembourg  ... It is not yet official, but all show that the Greek Republic is no longer a sovereign state.

Silently, the European Union reached a new stage. Henceforth, strong states (those with a "triple A" plus France) require the rest, particularly the countries of the region, to change status. This is not just about colonial regime, but much like with a kind of administration in which the great powers applied at the colonial period, the protectorate.For the colonizers, the protectorate was a way to extend the political and administrative influence and put under surveillance foreign lands from which they wanted to seize their wealth, without, however, to bear the inconveniences and costs that a clear annexation requires. The difference with the colony is that "protected state" maintains official institutions, but grants the "British government" on foreign policy and especially its economy and foreign trade.

In such a context we monitor, within the EU especially in the Eurozone, from the beginning (in 2008) of the financial crisis, the apparent loss of sovereignty of weaker states. It is the preliminary phase, before the sad final stage of the European 'protectorate', which matures in Greece.In September 2001, Angela Merkel proposed a new model, the «marktkonforme demokratie» (democracy compatible with the market), which she identified like this: "The establishment of the state budget is a prerogative of Parliament, but we must find ways that the democratic requirement is consistent with the requirements of the market. " [4] The market is now the reference point: the electoral decisions are not get any more by people but by the stock exchanges, banks and speculators. [5]This new anti-democratic philosophy is gaining slowly in Europe. Translated into laws and treaties restricting more and more room for maneuver of governments and act as "autopilot" to subjugate societies and lead to a creeping and secret way towards a federal Europe. From this view, punishment of Greece is the model that threatens every recalcitrant European country. And will be officially rule next July, when the European Stability Mechanism be ratified(ESM - Permanent Preservation Fund).

Designed by Angela Merkel and certified by Nicolas Sarkozy, the new ESM is an intergovernmental organization, a kind of European IMF. For now, it goes to ratification by national parliaments, without public debate, [6] although, because of its characteristics, can have devastating effects on citizens. Indeed, the ESM provides financial assistance to countries in need, provided they give a part of their sovereignty, accepting the authority of the EU troika and adopting unscrupulous plans.The ESM is structurally part of the "fiscal pact", adopted on January 30 from 25 of the 27 EU heads of state. The real name of this terrible pact is "Treaty for the stability, coordination and governance Economic and Monetary Union "[7] and is also the result of a German requirement. It obliges signatory states to enter in their constitutions (or at least one law) the famous "golden rule" to keep the budget deficit to less than 5% of GDP. The countries which will not respect this restriction will be accountable to the European Court and would suffer severe penalties.Karl Marx asserted that the industrial era governments were simply boards of the bourgeoisie. Paraphrasing him, we could say that today, in the era of "Europe's" litarchismou "" [8] of Angela Merkel, governments are the boards of the markets.Until when?

Notes
[1] «El País», Madrid, 02/12/21

[2] coordinates and supervises the financial policies and strategies of theEurozone countries. Participating ministers of Finance and Economic Affairs of these countries, who meet once a month

[3] Interview with the German magazine «Focus» 4-7-11

[4] Statement to the German state radio Deutschlandfunk, 1-9-11

[5] See Rafael Poch, «Un documento alemán pide un comisario para Grecia», «La Vanguardia», Barcelona 01.28.12

[6] on 21 February, the French parliament ratified an agreement allowing the creation of the ESM. The majority of Members are not socialists voted against

[7] (COP) or else an enhanced Stability Seehttp://consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/el/ec/127642.pdf.

[8] (COP) play on words austerity and authoritarianism(translated by GREECE AND WORLD)source:http://www.monde-diplomatique.gr/spip.php?article321