Firenze 10+10

The Firenze 10+10, will bring together a broad range of social movements and activists from across Europe to forge a common response to the unprecedented crisis we are facing.

The EU in Crisis Network aims to challenge the EU's authoritarian neoliberal response to the crisis and take forward alternatives; to inform the broad public of the implications of the solutions being promoted by the EU institutions - within Europe and in the global South and to lay the groundwork for pan-European resistance.

What the network does?

Since the beginning of the crisis, we have organized and participated in several debates, conferences and protests exposing the role of the EU institutions in pushing policies that are aggravating the impact of the crisis and using the crisis to install a neoliberal authoritarian regime. Through a Seminar in February 2012 and a Europe-wide Conference in May, with the broad participation of new social movements (15M, Occupy, Blockupy, Greek squares, the European water movement) and also participation from trade unionists, environmentalists, women's and migrant movements, we have been taking steps to build a pan-European network that strives to defeat the current EU's neoliberal agenda. Further strengthening and building our collective strategies and struggles is urgent.

Your participation, experience and expertise in the EU In Crisis Network is vital to continue the construction of effective strategies of resistance to the EU's neoliberal agenda. Join the discussion to design and propose common European actions linking national and Europe-wide struggles.

For further information contact: 

• Kenneth Haar (Corporate European Observatory) kenneth@corporateeurope.org 
• Sol Trumbo Vila (Transnational Institute) soltrumbovila@tni.org
• Or join directly the mail-list already working euincrisis@lists.corporateeurope.org

In Firenze 10+10 we have co-organized with a number of organizations the following seminars:

• The eurocrisis and the future of the EU: Towards authoritarian neoliberalism and permanent austerity?
• Workers Rights – No precarious work – Basic income – Pensions. Setting a strategy to join the social struggles
• The struggle against austerity in the EU: what experiences, what next steps?
• Corporate power undermining democracy in Europe

The eurocrisis and the future of the EU: Towards authoritarian neoliberalism and permanent austerity?

Austerity, Debt, Finance and Economic governance Sphere
Thursday Nov 8th at 14-16.00 (followed by an action planning session from 16-18:00)

Over the past two years we've seen major reforms adopted that give ample powers to the EU institutions to impose austerity measures and attack social rights. Since the beginning of the eurocrisis we've seen the adoption of the fiscal compact, the European Semester (on member state budgets), the Europlus Pact, the six-pack, the European Stability Mechanism, all of which point in the same direction: Democracy is rolled back, and the EU is undergoing profound changes to suit the agenda of economic elites, and bureaucratic power is enhanced both in the Commission and in the European Central Bank. How should social movements respond to this agenda? And what should be our reaction to the next steps on their agenda - the fiscal union and the banking union?

Speakers: Tom Kucharz (Ecologistas en Acción) , Erik Wesselius (Corporate Europe Observatory, CEO), Thomas Coutrot/Frèdèric Lemaire (ATTAC France), Alexis Passadakis (ATTAC-Germany).
Moderator: Susan George (Transnational Institute, TNI & ATTAC France)
Languages: Italian, English, French, and Spanish.
Organizers: CEO, TNI, Ecologistas en Acción, Action from Ireland, Observatory for Debt and Globalization (ODG).

Workers Rights – No precarious work – Basic income – Pensions. Setting a strategy to join the social struggles
Social and Labour rights sphere
Friday 9th Nov at 14-18.00

Focusing the link among all the issues in the title and how to join the struggle promoted by unions and social movements setting a common strategy of action.

Speakers: Andrea Della Vechia (FGTB), Yiorgos Vassalos (CEO) among others.
Moderator: To be confirmed.
Languages: Italian, English and French.
Organizers: FIOM, CGIL, CGIL, Filcams, Joint Social Conference, CCOO, CGTMetallurgie

The struggle against austerity in the EU: what experiences, what next steps?
Austerity, Debt, Finance and Economic governance Sphere
Friday 9th Nov at 16-18.00

Across Europe onerous austerity programmes are imposed. Public expenditure is cut severely, public services are either privatized or reduced, wages are attacked on a scale not seen in decades. Behind the attacks are not only national governments, the EU institutions play a pivotal role. The attacks are met with strong resistance, particularly in Greece, Spain and Portugal. Do we need European coordination of the struggle to be effective? And if so, what kind of coordination would that be?
Among the issues: The strike on the 14th of November, European actions in 2013 including during the EU Spring Summit in late March.

Speakers: Raquel Freire (12th of March Movement, Portugal), Stefano Maruca (FIOM-CGIL), Kenneth Haar (CEO), Sonia Mitralia (CADTM-Greece), Pierre Khalfa (Fondation Copernic) and Fayna Brenes (Colectivo La Casa - Red Baladre, active in 15M and in the struggle against evictions)
Moderator: Brid Brennan (TNI)
Languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish and Greek.
Organizers: Altersummit, Fondation Copernic, TNI, CEO, CADTM and Ecologistas en Acción.

Corporate power undermining democracy in Europe
Democracy in Europe Sphere
Saturday 10th Nov at 14-16.00

The EU’s response to the financial crisis and the escalating eurocrisis has led to sweeping austerity measures and privatization of public services. Corporate lobby groups see their longstanding demands implemented overnight at the expense of social rights, environmental regulation and public services. The EU’s emphasis on free markets and deregulation in the last two decades was a crucial factor in causing the current crisis. These flawed policies were heavily influenced by corporate lobbying, reflecting how big business had captured the policy-making processes in Brussels and in member states. Following the crisis, the power of the financial lobbies - and their easy access to decision-makers - has ensured that only limited regulation has been introduced. This workshop will focus on the question how to organize strong citizens counter-power, to roll back corporate capture of decision-making and build a different Europe: a Europe that strengthens democracy on all levels and refuses to be run by big business.

Speakers: Gildas (AITEC), Olivier Hoedeman (CEO), Hilary Wainwright (TNI/RedPepper) among others.
Moderator: Brid Brennan (TNI)
Languages: English and French.
Organizers: CEO, AITEC (France), TNI, ALTER-EU (Europe-wide network) and others.