Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-01-18-Speech-2-044"
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"en.20000118.2.2-044"2
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"The Commission report confirms that, with the exception of Germany, state aid to businesses is increasing. The Commission finds this worrying only from the point of view of the conditions of competition.
As far as we are concerned, we look at things from the point of view of the interests of the working classes. Society gains nothing from these massive transfers of public funds to private business. Take, for example, the car manufacturing sector, where subsidies and state aid of various sorts have increased by 24% during the reference period. With what aim? Not to save jobs. All these firms have gone ahead with job cuts and even redundancies. Not to improve working conditions, for in increasing production with fewer workers, working conditions are made worse. Did these firms need state aid to survive? No, car manufacturers have been making colossal profits for years.
State aid is not only counterproductive because, as the Jonckheer report acknowledges, it gives rise to subsidy hunting with firms relocating from one country to another, but it is unacceptable because it allocates public monies to the enrichment of a handful of private shareholders. It is because the richest people are being favoured everywhere with state money that throughout Europe social protection is being reduced, public services are being abandoned, hospitals are being closed.
In voting against the Jonckheer report, I wish to assert the need for another policy, to wit, ceasing all aid to private firms and utilising the money thereby saved to develop public services and recruit staff."@en1
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