Solidarity with the people in Greece!

Greece is at the forefront of the European economic crisis. It is experiencing an unprecedented level of austerity whose weight is falling unequally upon the people who bear least responsibility for the debt and who stand to suffer the most. They are Greek citizens as well as thousands of migrants and asylum seekers.

Since 2009 Greece has witnessed a 37% increase in suicide rates, while unemployment rate skyrocketed from 8% to 27% (57% for youth) leaving 1.3 million people jobless. Today 3.4 million people are considered as poor in Greece representing 31% of the population. Politicians' failure to deal with the country's problems has also led the neo-Nazi 'Golden Dawn' to become the third biggest political party in the country polling at 12% to 15%. Many people are getting so angry and desperate that they would even risk sacrificing democracy to make their voice heard.

This is not just a Greek problem; it is also a European one. Greece has made mistakes but the on-going austerity-only policies are not a solution to the crisis. On the contrary, they impede economic growth and have a devastating impact on people.

Greece has to restructure its economy and get its finances right. However, sustainable economic recovery is not about just balance sheets and fiscal targets.

Austerity should not come at the price of human suffering. The focus of the consolidation measures should be on fixing the public sector, supporting environmentally sustainable economic growth and social cohesion based on the principle of solidarity whereby stronger shoulders carry more of the heavy load.

Europe must prevent the situation in Greece from becoming an out-and-out humanitarian catastrophe and make sure that the same remedy is not applied to other weak economies.

We ask you, members of the Troika and the Greek government, to revise the austerity plan and put humans and their needs at the centre of your decisions.

On the 9th of May (Europe’s day), the results of this petition will be sent to the Troika and Greek government.

Sign the petition at: http://www.avantieurope.eu/?i=avanti.en.campaigns&;id=3