Today all eyes are on Montecitorio. But just on the opposite side of the square, in the conference hall of the same name, representatives of the European Green Party and various non-governmental organizations have gathered to continue the debate on Green proposals to get out of the crisis. "We are not just romantics, who have poetic and nice ideas", points out Pierre Jonckheer, president of the Green European Foundation, "but we make concrete proposals and we believe that they must begin to form part of the common reflection". In Italy as in Europe, because "any scenario that envisages the fragmentation of the euro area is unacceptable for us".
"Ours is a negative judgment on the maneuver presented by Prime Minister Mario Monti", specified Giulio Marcon, the spokesman of the NGO let's get out of balance!. “We expected a greater opening, a more radical change. It is a maneuver that does not ensure growth. There are no policies inspired by sustainability. It is only a matter of great penalty which will however be paid by the poor people”.
The Greens therefore have their concrete proposals and regret not being taken into consideration enough. The "Paris Declaration", a document to which all European Green exponents (except Sweden and the United Kingdom) have adhered, is the workhorse with which Jonckheer hopes to conquer Brussels on 8 and 9 December. The Greens propose a “Green New Deal” capable of relaunching the economy, rethinking the importance of politics and carrying forward a new development model. To give new impetus to production, but one sustainable production. And to create occupation to support eco-sustainable consumption. Finally above all of redistribute wealth, because in recent years the gap between wealthy and not has increased disproportionately.
As far as public finances are concerned, the Greens aim to cut military spending and funding for major works, instead favoring small projects that start more quickly and give the economy a boost in a short time. They also insist on the need for one policy of legality and fiscal justice, one of the points for which they blame the Monti maneuver for not having taken adequate measures. Finally they aim to create a ecological taxation, based on a carbon tax on CO2 emissions. (Download the 13th report of Sbilanciamoci!)
It is not so much anger that characterizes the attitude of ecologists towards the new measures of the Executive, but rather a certain disillusionment. A sense of disappointment prevails towards a Government which, precisely as a technician, could have given way to new ideas and tried to launch a new model of ecological and sustainable economic development. But Monti's measures are the answer to a very short-term solution. It is important that the dialogue intensifies and that their proposals continue to be disseminated among public opinion. Only in this way, perhaps, even the ruling class will be able to change their minds.
