Youth Forum reacts to the situation in Greece

The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called for a Referendum on the 5th of July on the proposed reforms needed to receive bailout loans from the other Eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund.

This decision follows an intense period of austerity in Greece since 2009. Wages and state unemployment benefit contracted by more than 30 per cent and consumer spending by 33 per cent. The austerity legislations enacted in order to meet obligations set by the EU, ECB and IMF resulted in a clear violation of social rights under the European Social Charter. For example, the legislation imposed a minimum wage below the poverty line for all workers under 25.

In the meantime, youth unemployment skyrocketed to almost 60 per cent, and stands today at 50 per cent. 37.5 per cent of the population live under the poverty line and more than 200 000 Greeks had no other choice but to leave the country to find a job and a decent life. As in other EU member states, young people are more affected by the consequences of the crisis and austerity and more exposed to unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. If Greece defaults it could dramatically accentuate these phenomena.

We call for an EU that encourages economic growth and social cohesion; that puts humans and their needs at the centre of decisions. This needs to be done in order to ensure the equality of all European citizens, and to uphold the idea of European solidarity.

The debate over the Greek referendum is symptomatic of having an integrated monetary system in the context of an intergovernmental political system. Currently, solutions are not sought based on what works economically, but positions are carved out by national leaders according to the popular demand and polls in each member state. A more democratic EU is needed to overcome this if we want to keep the Euro.

The Youth Forum, through is different campaigns, has been advocating for more transparent and democratic processes in Europe. Therefore, we believe that the Greek people should have a fair chance in the referendum, where they are offered a real choice that they can make based on access to information and clarity as to what one or the other choice actually means. We also urge young people to take part to the Greek Referendum. In Greece, young people are 25 per cent less likely to vote than other groups*

*Figures from the 2014 EU elections.