Van Rompuy to Greece: "Don't blame Europe" (Photo: Council of the European Union)

Is Europe itself the ‘invisible hand’ that’s forcing us into an era of austerity which dismantles the welfare state? If we are to believe the words of the British journalist Claud Cockburn — “Never believe anything until it’s officially denied” — then we should conclude that it is.

European Council President Van Rompuy told deputies in Strasbourg recently, after criticism of Europe’s austerity-focused response to the bloc’s economic crisis: “Some people fear this work is about dismantling the welfare states and social protection. Not at all …”

From: “The visible whip of the EU”. Alexander Beunder (KSU). 16-4-2011.

[Nederlandse versie] vertaald door GlobalInfo.nl: De zichtbare zweep van de EU