Regular
reports on the growing Poverty, Unemployment, Debt and Inequality of
the neo-capitalist world
Europe:
“Social
injustice has once again clearly increased in recent years, most
obviously in the crisis-battered southern European countries of
Greece, Spain and Italy, as well as in Ireland and Hungary. However,
a predominantly negative trend is also evident overall: In the
majority of EU countries, the reach and scope of social justice has
declined in the course of the crisis. Only three countries –
Poland, Germany and Luxembourg – have proven able to improve
significantly in comparison to the 2008 Social Justice Index.”
“...
the rigid austerity policies pursued during the crisis and the
structural reforms aimed at economic and budgetary stabilization have
had, in most countries, negative effects with regard to social
justice. [...] social security systems have been badly undermined by
austerity measures in many countries, as has the ability to invest in
critical future-oriented policy areas such as education or research
and development.”
“The
gap between participation opportunities in the still-wealthy
countries of northern Europe and in the crisis-struck southern
nations has thus significantly increased. This is a highly explosive
situation with regard to societal cohesion and social stability
within the European Union. Should these social divisions persist for
some time, or even worsen further, this will endanger the future
viability of the entire European integration project.”
“...
Sweden and Finland’s longtime efforts to combat relatively high
rates of youth unemployment have not yet been successful. In Sweden,
23.5 percent of young people lacked employment according to recent
figures, along with 19.9 percent in Finland.”
“...
the strong employment statistics and very low rate of youth
unemployment in cross-EU comparison should not obscure other justice
deficits within the German labor market. In recent years, the
emergence of a dual labor market has been increasingly evident, with
poor vertical permeability from 'atypical' employment relationships
(enlarged low-wage sector, temporary employment) to 'normal working
conditions'. This is today a key problem, demanding further reform
efforts. In addition, Germany and Austria show similar problems in
the area of education. The influence of social background on
students’ educational successes remains much too high in both
countries.”
“The
bottom third of the social justice rankings, with the exception of
Slovakia (17th place), Ireland (18th) and Latvia (23nd), is taken up
exclusively by EU member states from southern and south-eastern
Europe. These countries show massive shortcomings in most areas of
the Social Justice Index, in some cases worsening dramatically in
recent years.”
“About
25.4 percent of the people within the EU are at risk of poverty or
social exclusion (2012, 2013) – a figure about 1.7 percentage
points higher than that in 2009. The associated EU-wide rate for
children and youth has risen as high as 28 percent. The EU remains
far indeed from its self-declared goals in the areas of preventing
poverty and social exclusion. [...] A rapid increase in poverty
within this at-risk group [children and youth] was also evident in
recent years, particularly in the crisis-struck countries. For those
affected by severe material deprivation, the basic conditions
enabling social participation and a self-determined life simply do
not exist.”
“Overall,
labor market access opportunities have deteriorated in the broad
majority of EU member states over the course of the crisis. In the
last several years, the EU has come no closer to the goal declared as
a part of the Europe 2020 strategy, which aims to reach an employment
rate of 75 percent. Indeed, this rate has even slightly declined from
66 percent in 2008 to 63.5 percent in 2013.”
“Denmark
in particular, which at the beginning of the decade served as a model
for labor market reform debates in other countries thanks to its
flexicurity model, has since 2008 been forced to accept a significant
increase in unemployment, from 3.5 percent to a recent 7.2 percent.”
“The
EU-wide problems with justice within the labor market are above all
evident in the unequal distribution of access opportunities for
various at-risk groups within society. Unemployment among youth and
low-skilled individuals, for example, is a massive problem not only
in the crisis-mired southern European countries, but also in
countries such as Slovakia and Ireland. In these countries, this
situation has additionally developed into an extremely high rate of
long-term unemployment. This is particularly worrisome given that
long-term unemployment figures among the greatest risk factors for
poverty and social exclusion. Also problematic are distinct trends in
almost all countries toward a dual labor market, with in some cases
dramatic increases in atypical forms of employment with a low degree
of vertical permeability. In Spain and Cyprus, for example, more than
90 percent of people with temporary work contracts are involuntarily
in this kind of employment.”
“Tendencies
toward discrimination and polarization are effectively prevented in
the still comparatively egalitarian societies of the Nordic
countries. However, even in these small and homogeneous states,
income polarization is increasing (except Finland); moreover,
particularly for people of foreign origin, labor market and
educational opportunities are narrower than for natives and people
without an immigrant background.”
“...
while all EU member states face the challenge of providing equal
opportunities for participation to people with immigrant backgrounds,
a number of EU countries also show very significant tendencies toward
discrimination against specific minorities. This is particularly true
with regard to the Roma, who are subject to significant restrictions
and discrimination in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia, among
other nations. These population groups broadly lack equal
opportunities for self-realization.”
“Massive
cuts in areas such as education or research and development, as have
recently been observed in Spain, for example, are self-defeating from
the perspectives both of social justice and of member states’
future economic viability. Cuts in these areas are particularly
counterproductive and endanger the future viability of the countries
concerned.”
Greece:
“Greece
is at the bottom of the ranking with a youth unemployment rate of
nearly 60 percent, a rapid increase in the risk of poverty
particularly among children and youth, a health care system badly
undermined by austerity measures, discrimination against minorities
as a result of strengthened radical political forces, and an enormous
mountain of debt that represents a mortgage on the future of coming
generations. The resulting diminution of prospects for broad swathes
of society represents a significant danger to the country’s
political and social stability. These developments illustrate that
the cuts induced by the crisis are not administered in a balanced way
throughout the population.”
“The
massive underfunding of the Romanian health care system, for example,
leads to broad treatment inequalities and corruption. Problems in
Greece have taken a similar course. There, harsh austerity measures
have led to drastic cuts in the health care system. In addition,
rising poverty has meant that many people are no longer in the
position to undergo essential treatments.”
...
and, an example of a Europe towards the right direction:
“...
the Finnish government, despite an already high degree of justice and
quality, has again in its current 2011–2016 government
education-policy program placed special focus on the prevention of
poverty, inequality and exclusion.”
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