Greece may have never been a social state as some Scandinavian countries but at least in the recent years some social benefits were functioning, nonetheless due to EU funding. Now the EU membership and the Euro participation turn into boomerang and the end of the social state is here. While the announcement of the new austerity measures (mid-term budget plans for 2010-2015) is being postponing day by day, leakages to the Greek press prepare the psychological ground to the public. Wednesday morning state television NET published a list of the upcoming state spending cuts.
Spending cuts have a budget of 14 billion euros and they are:
4,6 billion in wages costs
2,4 billion in social benefits
2,4 billion in state-run enterprises DEKO
2,4 billion in defence spending
2,4 billion in health spending
At the same time there is a €9 billion revenues increases plan. More details on this at another point.
The spending cut plan is simple: ‘horizontal’ cuts in all sectors – Health and Social get the same share as the expensive and mismanaged DEKO… There are no few those thinking that if there are no radical sections and changes at any political cost, the debt will continue to grow and the citizens impoverished without hope or safety net. This will bring the end of social web.
