Mr President, unfortunately, as we predicted at the beginning of the Greek Presidency, decisions were taken during the past six months of the Greek Presidency which reinforce the anti-grass roots, reactionary and aggressive character of the European Union. The increase in the retirement age, the reduction in pensions, the privatisation of social security and the extension of part-time and temporary employment were promoted. In the name of competitiveness, the general economic policy guidelines of the European Union were approved, the main feature of which is the attack on the workers in order to increase the profits of the monopolies. The citizens of the Member States of the European Union were handed over to the United States bound hand and foot with the disgraceful agreements on judicial cooperation. The Greek Presidency aligned with the USA in its interventions in Cuba, with the pretext of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, which proved to be non-existent, and the objective of oil, in order to impose the global sovereignty of the USA. During the Greek Presidency, the European Union, despite the unprecedented protests of its peoples, found excuses for and ultimately legalised the savage attack by Anglo-American troops and the occupation of Iraq, with its well documented disastrous results for the Iraqi people. . Fortunately, the occupation is being resisted by the Iraqi people. Who the Greek Presidency was serving is clear from the warm congratulations of Messrs Bush and Powell, but also from the outcry by the peoples. On the pretext of crushing terrorism, further militarisation of the European Union was promoted, by completing the formation of the European army for imperialist interventions all over the world jointly with ΝΑΤΟ and the USA, as was the more general strengthening of the repressive mechanisms to armour the interests of big business inside and outside the European Union from hostile peoples. The idea of increasing military spending so that we are reliable partners of the American imperialists with whom, it is said, we are united by common values, also advanced. The mid-term review of the CAP was approved, reducing and uncoupling subsidies from production, with disastrous consequences for small and medium-sized farmers, quality and the environment. The strengthening of fortress Europe was promoted with new expulsions of immigrants and stricter terms of asylum. The signature of the enlargement of the European Union marks new hardships for its peoples and legalises the division of Cyprus as a result of the invasion and occupation by the army of Turkey, which is a candidate for accession. Finally, during the Greek Presidency an abortive text was approved, the creation of an anti-democratic Convention, which strengthens the pro-monopoly, anti-working class character of the European Union, the power of the strong and the militarisation of the European Union, in order to claim a more active role within the frameworks of international imperialism at the side of the USA. Mr Simitis and his friends are proud of all this. We are angry and we are extending our fight with the peoples against these policies. Each of us shall serve his cause.

Political group: GUE-NGL