Europe’s austerity measures threaten poor – Caritas warns

Caritas Europe warns European nations’ that austerity measures threaten social services for the poor.

“The governments’ focus on reductions in public expenditure on social security benefits and services, wage reductions and increases in tax will disproportionately impact upon the poorest in society,” the report found.

“The austerity measures pursued by many countries will result in the erosion of social services, which will lead to further exclusion of people who already find themselves on the margins of society.”

The report highlights that the whole process would benefit from an approach that was more democratic for all stakeholders and that respects the power-differentials between the various groups.

“The macro-economic approach underpinning the Europe 2020 strategy fails to understand the interdependence of economic development, social development and environmental protection,” Caritas added, referring to the European Commission’s economic growth strategy.

“States have to understand that all three pillars – the economic, the social and the environmental one need each other simultaneously for a truly sustainable growth.”

Key to Caritas’ Europe findings is a proposed gap analysis which looks at the current situation, identifies a future and then steps on how to get there.

The  analysis of the national reform programs was carried out by 16 Caritas organisations. Caritas’ recommendations were country-specific and included the following major areas of concern: employment, education, poverty and social exclusion, EU structural funding and social inclusion, and governance.