Privatization pushback

Letter from groups to EU Commission says plan is "economically, socially and democratically flawed"
— Common Dreams staff

Civil society groups Wednesday are slamming the European Commission's continued insistence that privatization of municipal water systems be a condition for receiving rescue funds, a plan the groups describe as "economically, socially and democratically flawed."

"Not only is there is no evidence at all to support the view that the private sector is more efficient, but there is very strong public resistance to privatization. European citizens will not back down quietly on this,” said Jan Willem Goudriaan of the European Federation of Public Service Unions. (Tom Raftery via flickr)

In a letter addressed to Olli Rehn, Vice-President of the European Commission and member of the Commission responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, 24 groups, including Food & Water Europe, Save Greek Water,Italian Forum of Water Movements and Blue Planet Project, write that the privatization plans are based on supposed virtues of water privatization without any factual substantiation. Because of lack of success of privatizing municipal water, European communities who had privatized their water systems have re-municipalized them, the groups write....

Common Dreams
Privatization Pushback: Civil Society Slams Water Privatization Conditions for EU Bailouts

(h/t Dan Lynch posted in MMT DALLAS DEFICIT OWL COMMITTEE)

The neoliberal push is on globally to privatize the water supply since it is recognized that water is going to be the new oil as global warming ramps up.