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Socialist Worker 1 April 2020

ANALYSIS
A N A LY S I S
AL E X C AL L I NI C O S
ALEX CALLINICOS
Crisis exposes myth

of a progressive EU

THE CORONAVIRUS crisis has exposed political leaders
as wanting. The systematic bungling by Boris Johnson’s
government is summed up by the fact that he, his health
secretary and the chief medical adviser have all tested
positive for the virus.
Donald Trump’s brutish ignorance and scapegoating politics
is exceeded only in callous incompetence by his Brazilian twin
Jair Bolsonaro. But these clown kings of contemporary right
wing politics shouldn’t draw attention away from the dreadful
performance of more mainstream neoliberal institutions.
When Trump captured the White House, the European
Union (EU) deluded itself that it might fill the gap. Its
dominant political figure, German chancellor Angela Merkel,
was portrayed the “real leader of the free world”. But yet again
the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the EU too.
The EU supposedly seeks an “ever closer union” culminating
in a federal European state comparable to the US.
But although it has some transnational institutions, notably
the European Central Bank and the European Commission, UNITE UNION leader Len McCluskey hopes to do deals with the Tories
it remains a cartel of capitalist nation states. In this the more
powerful, above all Germany and France, call the shots.
Because of this, the EU’s fumbling of the pandemic has We need action, not dodgy
followed exactly the same path as it took during the global
financial crisis.
Sweden and the Netherlands have avoided full lockdowns deals, from union leaders
First, national governments make the immediate emergency
response. They have considerably more resources and
legitimacy than EU institutions, so they decide the lockdowns.
This means the response has been piecemeal and uneven. Both
and are pursuing versions of Johnson’s discredited “herd
immunity” strategy.
Worse still, it’s every state for itself. Early in March Italy by NICK CLARK in Portadown, Northern the crowded minibuses laid secretary of the CWU union,
appealed for international help. There was no response Ireland, struck on Wednesday on by bosses. He added that said he would back any Royal
from the rest of the EU. Only China offered medical supplies of last week. They walked out conditions in the mail centre Mail worker who refused to
and expertise. There is an unconfirmed story that some of AC TION BY worker s for 15 minutes complaining were also unsafe. work over safety.
these supplies were seized en route westwards by the Czech has shown the type of that they were forced to work “There’s not enough per- Yet in a union where
Republic. So much for the “European solidarity” the EU likes to resistance that’s possible too close together. sonal protective equipment workers are known for strik-
boast about. against bosses who force Many workers in Britain such as hand sanitiser,” he ing unofficially, Ward said, “I
them to work in unsafe face similar conditions. told Socialist Worker. want to make it clear that we
Uncertainty conditions during the coro- Gary Smith works at a “And some of the sorting are not calling for unofficial
Secondly, there is the economic policy response. There navirus outbreak. major Royal Mail sorting machines require three action.”
seems to be a consensus among economists that we are Some 500 workers at a office and distribution hub. people to operate standing He said this was because
heading for an economic contraction more severe than the warehouse near Barnsley, He said some workers have next to each other.” the union faced a “balanc-
Great Recession of 2008-9. South Yorkshire, walked out refused to come to work on Dave Ward, general ing act” between acting to
Nouriel Roubini, one of the few to predict the global last Saturday. The strikers protect workers’ safety and
financial crisis, is warning of a “Greater Depression” worse said bosses at online clothes to “protect the industry and
shop Asos were forcing them
even than that in the 1930s. The main uncertainty concerns to work too close together. Labour backs Tories sustain the businesses that
how long this catastrophe will last. they work in”.
This is why governments are throwing as much money as They claimed they were Ward added that union
they can at their economies. Tory chancellor Rishi Sunak has taken to work on crowded leaders he’d spoken to on
so far unveiled four successive emergency packages. buses and that there was not THE LABOUR Party such as shutting a TUC union federation
They may lead to a budget deficit, where some spending enough hand sanitiser. has also shied away down companies that conference call took the same
has to be covered by borrowing, of £200 billion in the next They also said they had from challenging the force people to work attitude.
financial year. That compares to £25.5 billion in 2018-19. to work just three feet, or Tories and the bosses and guaranteeing
Germany’s coalition government has introduced a roughly a metre, apart from over coronavirus. workers’ pay. Partnership
supplementary budget of over £318 billion, the equivalent of each other. In a recent article for Overall Labour Union leaders have con-
10 percent of national income. Germany has given itself the Government guidelines say the Labourlist website, has backed the Tory gratulated themselves that
right to ignore its own economically illiterate “black zero” rule people should only travel for leadership candidate government’s approach working in partnership with
banning budget deficits, which it imposed on the Eurozone. essential work, and should Rebecca Long-Bailey to the coronavirus the government and the
Meanwhile Italy and other weaker member states have their stay two metres apart. pointed to some outbreak, only offering bosses has given them some
hands tied by measures such as the 2012 Fiscal Pact. problems workers face as mild criticisms about influence.
This gives the European Commission the power to police Impossible a result of the lockdown. aspects of its policies. Unite union leader Len
national budgets and limit government borrowing. It is the One worker said, “The bosses “Millions who are Its call for “action” McCluskey gave an interview
ugly legacy of the Eurozone crisis, when austerity was forced said online shopping should sick, self-isolating or during the crisis has to the Sunday Times news-
on Greece, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal. be encouraged. But it’s who have seen work dry focused on organising paper last week. He said he
There was the same line-up at last week’s European almost impossible to socially up now face immediate self-help groups to hoped the crisis would put
Council—the supreme EU decision-making body. An alliance distance. There’s a minimum hardship and distribute food and an end to trade unions being
of mainly southern states advocated the introduction of of 500 people there. uncertainty over support to people seen “as the enemy within”.
“coronabonds” that would allow joint borrowing by EU “I’m sat three feet from their jobs, homes in isolation. But Yet while union leaders
governments. somebody. There’s somebody and incomes,” with no challenge celebrate their deals with
This was blocked by the so-called “Hanseatic League” of else three feet away from me she wrote. to the Tories, this the Tories, bosses get away
prosperous northern member states backed by Merkel. in another direction.” Yet she stopped “community” spirit with forcing people to work
Once again the neoliberal cult of sound money has Another worker said bosses short of risks being unsafely—with no challenge
triumphed in an economic emergency. No wonder Yanis had stopped their pay while demanding co-opted from union leaders.
Varoufakis, the left wing former finance minister of Greece, they stayed off in isolation government by the
reacted, “I don’t think the EU is capable of doing anything to us because they live with some- action government—
other than harm. I opposed Brexit but I have now reached the one considered at “high risk”. against and letting it  Got a story?
conclusion that the British did the right thing, even if they did Meanwhile around 1,000 bosses— off the hook. Email ideas to reports@
CAPTION GOES
it for the wrong reason.” workers at a poultry factory Rebecca Long-Bailey socialistworker.co.uk