AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo met in a videoconference with European Green Party leaders from member parties from all around Europe to discuss the serious effects of the Corona virus pandemic on European citizens and also on citizens of countries all around the world. The leaders from the Green parties are also particularly worried about the lack of solidarity between EU member states in these trying times. It is indeed ironic that aid to the most affected countries, such as Italy and Spain, seems to be coming from outside the EU than from EU partner countries. The motto ‘United in Diversity’ seems to be just that, a meaningless phrase.

AD together with other Green parties insist that at this critical point in time services supporting victims of gender-based violence must remain open and available. Reinforcing helpline services and organising networks of support is of the utmost importance.

The single market must save lives. It is imperative that Governments and EU institutions cooperate to the maximum extent to ensure a coordinated response, proactively sharing all relevant information and expertise to ensure that medical supplies, food and other essential goods and personnel can move freely across borders to meet the needs across the EU. EU solidarity must not stop at EU borders, the EU must deliver the necessary humanitarian aid and the best medical resources, particularly to countries in the Global South.

The EU and its Member States need to ensure that any barriers at EU level in Single Market and Economic and Monetary Union rules and reasonable national measures are rapidly identified and removed to allow, for example, the deferral or temporary lowering of taxes, interest on loans, rents, utility bills and other fixed costs – designed to alleviate the financial burden on individuals and businesses (in particular SMEs). 

The COVID-19 crisis has underlined the vital importance of well-funded and coordinated, free and universally accessible public health systems. This should never be forgotten in setting priorities at EU and national level that affect the funding and working conditions in these priority public goods.

The Green Parties of Europe are convinced that this crisis should make our leaders rethink our socio- economic model in order to make it more resilient to systemic threats – be they environmental, medical, economic, societal in origin. We need to rebuild our systems in a way that they take into account planetary boundaries as well as providing the well-financed essential public services and other means to ensure a fair and stable society.

Once this crisis is overcome, there can be no going back to business as usual, nor can it be used as an alibi for harsh austerity policies as was the case after the global financial crisis. Climate change will remain an urgent and existential challenge. The pandemic profoundly questions the way our societies are organized, the way we live on this planet and a host of conventional policies. The COVID-19 crisis reinforces the absolute need for transformative initiatives such as a bold European Green Deal and a massive reinvestment in quality public services, above all in the health sector. Only then will this crisis lead to more just, more sustainable and more democratic societies.

The full text of the statement agreed by the European Green Party Leaders can be foud here: https://europeangreens.eu/news/european-greens-response-covid-19-crisis

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F’dal mument ilkoll flimkien – mexxejja tal-Partit tal-Ħodor Ewropew

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika Carmel Cacopardo ltaqa’ f’videokonferenza mal-mexxejja tal-Partit tal-Ħodor Ewropej mill-partiti membri minn madwar l-Ewropa kollha biex jiddiskutu l-effetti serji tal-pandemija tal-virus Corona fuq iċ-ċittadini Ewropej u wkoll fuq il-pajjiżi tad-dinja kollha. Il-mexxejja mill-partiti l-Ħodor huma partikolarment inkwetati rigward in-nuqqas ta’ solidarjetà bejn l-istati membri tal-UE f’dawn iż-żminijiet ta’ prova. Huwa tassew ironiku li l-għajnuna għall-pajjiżi l-iktar milquta, bħall-Italja u Spanja, tidher li ġejja aktar minn barra l-UE milli minn pajjiżi sħab tal-UE. Il-motto “Magħqudin fid-Diversità” jidher li sar biss frażi bla tifsira ta’ xejn.

Alternattiva Demokratika flimkien mal-partiti tal-Ħodor Ewropej jinsistu li f’dan il-mument kritiku s-servizzi li jappoġġjaw vittmi ta’ vjolenza minħabba l-ġeneru għandhom jibqgħu miftuħa u disponibbli. It-tisħiħ tas-servizzi ta ‘għajnuna u l-organizzazzjoni ta’ netwerks ta’ appoġġ huwa kruċjali.

Is-suq uniku tal-UE għandu jsalva ħajjiet. Huwa imperattiv li l-Gvernijiet u l-istituzzjonijiet tal-UE jikkooperaw sal-massimu possibbli biex jiżguraw rispons kkoordinat, li jaqsmu b’mod proattiv l-informazzjoni u l-kompetenzi kollha relevanti biex jiżguraw li provvisti mediċi, tal-ikel u ta’ prodotti essenzjali. Hemm bżonn li persuni fi rwoli essenzjali ikunu jistgħu jaqsmu liberament il-fruntieri biex jaqdu l-ħtiġijiet taċ-ċittadini madwar l-UE. Is-solidarjetà tal-UE m’għandhiex tieqaf mal-fruntieri tagħha. L-UE għandha tagħti l-għajnuna umanitarja meħtieġa u riżorsi mediċi lil pajjiżi fin-Nofsinhar Globali.

L-UE u l-Istati Membri tagħha għandhom bżonn jassiguraw li kwalunkwe ostakolu fil-livell tal-UE fir-regoli tas-Suq Uniku u r-regoli tal-Unjoni Ekonomika u Monetarja u f’miżuri nazzjonali jiġu identifikati u mneħħija malajr biex jippermettu, pereżempju, it-tnaqqis, diferit jew temporanju tat-taxxi, l-interessi fuq is-self, kirjiet, kontijiet tas-servizzi tal-ilma u l-elettriku u spejjeż fissi oħra. Dawn għandhom il-miżuri f’dil-kriżi għandhom itaffu l-piż finanzjarju fuq individwi u negozji, b’mod partikolari n-negozji ż-żgħar.

Il-kriżi COVID-19 enfasizzat l-importanza vitali ta’ sistemi tas-saħħa pubblika ffinanzjati sew, u l-kkoordinazzjoni f’dal-qasam bejn l-istati membri. Ikkopnfermat il-bżonn ta’ sistemi pubbliċi tas-saħħa aċċessibbli għal kulħadd. Il-finanzjament u l-kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol f’oqsma pubbliċi essenzjali għandu jibqa’ prijorità tal-politika Ewropea.

Il-Partiti tal-Ħodor Ewropej huma konvinti li din il-kriżi għandha tixpruna lill-mexxejja Ewropej biex il-mudell soċjo-ekonomiku tagħna jinbidel u jsir jiflaħ aktar għat-theddid sistemiku – kemm jekk ikunu ta’ oriġini ambjentali, medika, ekonomika, u anke soċjali. Għandna bżonn nibnu mill-ġdid is-sistemi tagħna b’mod li jagħrfu l-limiti naturali tad-dinja tagħna, biex is-servizzi pubbliċi essenzjali ikunu ffinanzjati tajjeb u politika effettiva biex niżguraw soċjetà ġusta.

Ġaladarba din il-kriżi tingħeleb, ma nistgħux imorru lura għal kif konna, ma naċċetawx lanqas li l-kriżi tintuża bħala skuża għal politika ħorxa ta’ awsterità kif ġara wara l-kriżi finanzjarja globali. Il-bidla fil-klima se tibqa ’sfida urġenti u eżistenzjali. Il-pandemija uriet kif il-politika tas-soltu mhix adegwata, li t-traskuraġni ekoloġika u soċjali ġġib problemi kbar. Il-kriżi tal-COVID-19 isaħħaħ il-bżonn ta’ inizjattivi ta’ bidla mill-qiegħ bħall-Patt Ġdid Aħdar (Green New Deal) fuq livell Ewropew, b’investiment massiv fis-servizzi pubbliċi ta’ kwalità u fis-settur tas-saħħa. Hemm bżonn l-politika ta’ wara l-kriżi verament twassal għal soċjetajiet aktar ġusti, aktar sostenibbli u aktar demokratiċi.

It-test sħiħ tad-dikjarazzjoni miftiehma mill-Mexxejja tal-Partit tal-Ħodor Ewropew jinstab hawn: https://europeangreens.eu/news/european-greens-response-covid-19-crisis