Is the EU denying its social character favouring a banking conglomerate?

EU Commissioners Olli Rehn (centre), Algirdas Šemeta (left) and László Andor give a joint press conference on "Action for stability, growth and jobs: European Semester 2012".

EU Commissioners Olli Rehn (centre), Algirdas Šemeta (left) and László Andor give a joint press conference on “Action for stability, growth and jobs: European Semester 2012”.

It’s very annoying or probably preposterous to watch the European Commission playing with peoples’ misery. How else can one explain, that the executive arm of the EU after having observed in its yearly review on “Employment and Social Situation in 2012”, that living conditions in Europe have become unbearable for a fast increasing part of the population, then hearing Commissioner László Andor saying that poverty and exclusion, “point to the need to find better macroeconomic stabilisation mechanisms”?Does the man live in Europe or he enjoys the benefits of his function in a Brussels glass palace, away from peoples’ every-day lives, not looking them in the eyes while they strive to make the ends meet and also pay for Andor’s cosy life. And all that on the same day, on Tuesday 8 January, when Eurostat announced that unemployment in Europe reached 11.8% the highest level for at least twenty years. According to the EU’s statistical service, “26,061,000 men and women in the EU27, of whom 18,820,000 were in the euro area, were unemployed in November 2012. Compared with October 2012, the number of persons unemployed increased by 154,000 in the EU27 and by 113,000 in the euro area. Compared with November 2011, unemployment rose by 2,012,000 in the EU27 and by 2,015,000 in the euro area … The highest increases were registered in Greece (18.9% to 26.0% between September 2011 and September 2012), Cyprus (9.5% to 14.0%), Spain (23.0% to 26.6%) and Portugal (14.1% to 16.3%)”. As for the young, the women and the less qualified unemployment reaches exploding levels with one in two without a job. Not to forget that for the unemployed, statistics are of no value, because for them on every month unemployment is 100%. Unfortunately at this time of economic crisis and rising social misery, government spending on social welfare is sliced to the barest minimum and the countries worst hit by unemployment, are also under draconian fiscal programmes. At least five EU member states, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy are being forced into this by Brussels and some other EU capitals, in order to produce budget surpluses on the backs of the worst hit people, who had nothing to do with the credit crunch. Macroeconomics or reality? Despite of all this tragic reality László Andor goes even further surpassing his “macroeconomic stabilisation mechanisms” and says that “we need to develop a much more integrated Economic and Monetary Union, including in the field of employment and social policies”. Does this mean to create a European Union of generalised misery? Because if he means that the way to avoid future problems is to create today a unified EU of misery, his project will fail. Thank god there are still left some democratic institutions in the EU and the people will deny it and put a stop to such plans. Andor’s arguments become more alarming when he says that, “This review also shows us what works in terms of taking measures to remedy these problems so that Member States know better how to adjust their policies and build solutions that measure up to the problem we face”. Interpreting correctly the EC jargon of this sentence one may easily come to the conclusion, that he doesn’t want the European Union to increase the part of its budget devoted on measures to alleviate this situation. He prefers to let the national governments take care of their own problems. Such an EU policy would let the poorer countries on their own, while dealing with their unemployment and social exclusion drama, while the richer member states will use their increased resources to deal with smaller problems. If this is not an egotistic and anti-union spirit then we have lost the meaning of words. Unquestionably then, when Andor says “we need to develop a much more integrated Economic and Monetary Union”, he means that this Union will have less to do to with unemployment and social exclusion, leaving this burning matter to member states. On the contrary this Union will act as a well-integrated entity when it comes to monetary problems, asking all its taxpayers to support the banks when they go bankrupt. This is the Commission’s EU not ours!

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Interesting reads

© UNOCHA A humanitarian aid worker talks to a woman in front of a damaged apartment building in Kryvyi Rih, in south-central Ukraine.

World News in Brief: Aid for Ukraine, drone attacks in Sudan, DR Congo deaths, neurological disorders in the Americas

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN partners launched the Winter Response Plan to help 2.1 million people in Ukraine survive another cold season as the country grapples with the on-going Russian invasion. Tweet URL The UN’s office in Ukraine announced on Wednesday that its partners are seeking $358.4 million to provide heating assistance, shelter […]
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

World News in Brief: Sexual violence in DR Congo, deaths in Ukraine and Russia, crime in Southeast Asia

World News in Brief: Sexual violence in DR Congo, deaths in Ukraine and Russia, crime in Southeast Asia
© UNICEF/Oleksii Fili Local residents wander among debris following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, on 19 July 2026.

Ukraine: Deadly Russian attacks severely damage aid warehouses

This article is published in association with United Nations. Russian attacks and drone strikes killed at least two children and injured dozens more across Ukraine over recent days while severely damaging three critical aid warehouses, UN agencies reported on Monday. The UN aid coordination agency, OCHA, said attacks over the past days killed and injured dozens […]
Sweden: EIB invests €77,5 million to deepen Port of Gothenburg for next-generation ships

US-Iran war: UN chief calls for new diplomatic push following attacks on civilian areas

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the continuing deadly military escalation between Iran and the United States, his spokesperson said on Friday as attacks destroyed key civilian and military infrastructure across the Gulf region. “He is particularly concerned about attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran and […]
©UNIFIL /Kandice Ardiel UN peacekeepers in Lebanon examine remnants of a drone that detonated inside the mission’s Naqoura headquarters.

Peacekeepers step up support as families return to south Lebanon

This article is published in association with United Nations. With violence in south Lebanon significantly decreased since mid-June, UN peacekeepers there have returned to core functions such as protecting humanitarian aid and restoring critical infrastructure as families continue to return home. “The welcome reduction in violence allows our peacekeepers to do more of what we are […]
© NASA A satellite photo shows the strategically important shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf crisis: Guterres calls for de-escalation, warns against return to full-on war

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern on Wednesday over the continuing military escalation in the Middle East amid ongoing strikes by the United States and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.  The fighting has broken an interim truce established under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by […]
© UNICEF/Josue Mulala Girls play football at an event in DR Congo.

World Cup football’s other goal: Helping young people talk about mental health

This article is published in association with United Nations. When Dr. Sahira Al Nahari founded Shifā Art, a Saudi Arabia-based organization using art to create conversations around mental health, she noticed that men attending her therapeutic art workshops often felt uncomfortable opening up about their feelings. At these workshops, however, men often begin by sketching football […]
© UNFPA/Jonas Yunus Health workers in North Kivu, eastern DR Congo, prepare to treat patients as the Ebola outbreak continues.

‘This is a fire’: DRC Ebola outbreak is fastest-growing ever, warns WHO

This article is published in association with United Nations. Infections of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reached record highs and a majority of new cases are coming from “unknown chains of transmission”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday. Why this matters Speaking to reporters […]
© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour The majority of homes in Gaza are still barley habitable.

World News in Brief: Aid deliveries to Gaza restricted, UN prepares El Nino response, El Salvador eliminates disease

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is calling for greater humanitarian access to Gaza, warning that restrictions on aid deliveries, ongoing violence and funding shortages are severely limiting its ability to reach people in need. Tweet URL Reporting from a recent aid convoy mission, WFP Country Director for Palestine […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

Peak heat in Europe just broke historic 1970s records

This article is published in association with United Nations. This year marks the hottest June recorded for Western Europe and the second warmest globally, according to the latest report from a climate tracking service released on Thursday. “Heatwaves like this are what we expect to see in a changing climate,” said John Kennedy, head of climate […]
© NASA The Strait of Hormuz which separates the United Arab Emirates and Iran is a strategically important shipping route

UN chief urges Iran and US to ‘urgently resume negotiations’ as Gulf strikes escalate

This article is published in association with United Nations. Renewed strikes and counterstrikes between Iran and the United States in the Gulf region have raised fears of a return to all‑out war, with Washington denying Tehran’s claim that it had closed the crucial Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The US said it had struck around 140 […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

Peak heat in Europe just broke historic 1970s records

This article is published in association with United Nations. This year marks the hottest June recorded for Western Europe and the second warmest globally, according to the latest report from a climate tracking service released on Thursday. “Heatwaves like this are what we expect to see in a changing climate,” said John Kennedy, head of climate […]
UN News Children collect water from a truck in a displaced persons camp in Gaza. (file)

Diplomats go virtual to witness Gaza displacement site up close

This article is published in association with United Nations. Representatives from 12 countries carried out a “virtual diplomatic field visit” to a displacement site in the Gaza Strip and heard from some of the residents about their pressing needs, the United Nations said on Thursday.  The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Ramiz Alakbarov, and his […]
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by Sanofi over possible anticompetitive conduct regarding the promotion of a flu vaccine for vulnerable patients

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission invites comments on commitments offered by Sanofi to address competition concerns regarding a communication campaign that has possibly disparaged the only rival flu vaccine recommended for vulnerable patients with risk factors. The Commission’s investigation Sanofi, headquartered in France, is a multinational […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

US-Iran war: Renewed attacks in Strait of Hormuz prompts another global energy alert

This article is published in association with United Nations. Renewed attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz unsettled energy markets on Wednesday and prompted calls from the UN maritime agency, IMO, for “maximum restraint and de-escalation”. Amid reports that three merchant vessels were hit along with Iranian targets, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned “reckless attacks” […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

When AI hurts people, who’s to blame? Global experts grapple with accountability

This article is published in association with United Nations. Who is legally responsible when Artificial Intelligence causes harm? The issue took centre stage on Tuesday – day two of the first ever UN summit on AI governance, where leading experts warned of mounting evidence of human rights violations linked to the revolutionary technology. “Across 11 Global […]
UN News Humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip remain dire, with families in urgent need of shelter, healthcare and food.

Occupied Palestinian Territory: Aid restrictions in Gaza, ‘senseless’ infant deaths in the West Bank

This article is published in association with United Nations. Ongoing restrictions and closures of border crossings continue to hamper delivery of critical supplies into the Gaza Strip, amid mounting concern for children there and in the West Bank, the United Nations said on Monday.  UN teams in Gaza continued to collect food and fuel from the Kerem […]
About the author Sadia Khalid is a Scientist-Physician (MBBS, MD) at Tallinn University of Technology. She is driven by a commitment to advance public health and scientific understanding. With research interests spanning molecular medicine, infectious diseases, bacteriology, hepatology, and gastroenterology, she aims to contribute meaningful, evidence-based insights that support health, safety, and community awareness.

Heat, Flood, Fire: The Climate Crisis and the Body

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Sadia Khalid, a Scientist-Physician (MBBS, MD) at Tallinn University of Technologye. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on […]
UN Ukraine The aftermath of a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv in May 2026.

Civilian dangers multiply as drones transform Ukraine’s battlefield

This article is published in association with United Nations. As drones reshape the battlefield in Ukraine, they are also creating new and increasingly complex dangers for civilians, threatening recovery efforts, agriculture and global food security long after the fighting ends. “The battlespace has become a lot deeper, a lot wider and a lot more lethal,” Paul […]

Why don't you drop your comment here?

Go back up

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

The European Sting – Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology – europeansting.com