HILARY WAINWRIGHT: There’s
an important distinction to be made
between European Union treaties in
which neoliberal economics (reducing
public expenditure, deregulating labour,
privatization, etc) are inscribed and,
on the other hand, the implementation
of particular austerity policies at particu-
lar times. Changing EU treaties requires
electing pro-social justice and public-
spending governments across Europe.
This cannot be achieved by the victory
of the Left in one country. But it can be
taken forward by leftwing governments
forging continental alliances and shifting
the balance of power.
Portugal illustrates my point: after
four years of austerity imposed by
the EU (and the IMF), the people first
revolted through mass protests and then
voted against the party of austerity. The
result was an anti-austerity alliance of
Left parties. The EU opposed this and
manoeuvred to bring down the govern-
ment in favour of the Right. The Left
alliance stood its ground,
mobilized the people,
made alliances with other
leftists in Europe. The
EU backed down; partly
because of the balance
of power in Portugal and
partly because there were
forces in the EU who
were reluctant, after the
experience of Greece, to
be responsible for again
imposing austerity on a
rebellious population.Here was a successful experience
of what I’m advocating: being ‘in and
against the EU’.GR ACE BLAKELEY: You’re right to state
that the plausibility of the ‘remain and
reform’ argument hinges on the balance
of power in the EU, rather than questions
of European law. Political, economic
and legal institutions, after all, serve to
reflect and reinforce the interests of the
powerful. If the EU is neoliberal, this is
simply because this reflects the inter-
ests of the dominant class. The question,
then, is whether these class relations can
be transformed from within it. I don’t
think so.
Such a continental transformation
would require labour and social move-
ments to mobilize in every country
across Europe simultaneously to disrupt
capitalist power relations at both the
micro level, through direct action, and
at the macro level, by taking control of a
political party and, through it, the state.
As it stands, such a situ-
ation is hard to imagine
because membership of
the Eurozone militates
against socialist trans-
formation in Europe’s
periphery, from where
revolt is most likely to
emanate.
Portugal has just
about managed to claw
its way out of recession
but, while there have
been no new spendingHILARY
WAINWRIGHT
Hilary Wainwright is a Fellow of
the Transnational Institute and
co-editor of Red Pepper. Her latest
book is A New Politics from the
Left (Polity Press).CAN THE EUROPEAN
UNION BE REFORMED?
‘HERE WAS A
SUCCESSFUL
EXPERIENCE OF WHAT
I’M ADVOCATING:
BEING “IN AND AGAINST
THE EU”’ – HILARY
THE DEBATE
Anti-EU sentiment is rising across much of the
continent. The European Union’s institutions can appear
undemocratic. And the wisdom of its commitment to
austerity policies in member states like Greece has been
roundly questioned. Almost everyone agrees that the EU
needs to be reformed. But is it possible? Hilary Wainwright
and Grace Blakeley take sides.Illustrations — Denise NestorYES
44 NEW INTERNATIONALIST