Radical European plans to fine governments that hide from painful cuts crash headlong into strikes and protests this week as labour leaders flag up the human cost of austerity.
A bid to force the 27 European Union nations to deposit billions of euros with Brussels, that would be forfeited in the event of failure to tighten national spending, will be laid out to finance ministers starting crunch talks on Monday.
Detailed proposals will be made public on Wednesday, when millions are expected to take part in a general strike across Spain and 100,000 protesters are tipped to march against "austerity" in Brussels. Radical European plans to fine governments that hide from painful cuts crash headlong into strikes and protests this week as labour leaders flag up the human cost of austerity.
"Let's not focus too much on the size of the sanctions," the spokesman for EU economic affairs commissioner Olli Rehn, who is driving the bid to get tough, said as diplomats said of the plans' scope. "It's the effectiveness of the proposals we set out next week (that matter)," Rehn's pointman said.
For more: Europe strikes out in austerity drive
No comments:
Post a Comment