The global economy suffered a significant upturn following COVID-19. However, the signs that this increase has reached a stage of exhaustion are clearly conditioned by the climate crisis: the rate of economic growth of the major world powers, productivity is stagnating and ambitious renewable investment programmes are fading for lack of profitability.
In this context, there has been a change of discourse: the free market is no longer the solution to all problems, the dogma laissez-faire is limited to characters like Milei. A new consensus seems to be emerging, in which public intervention in the economy is being advocated. On the right and left, industrial policy is being returned. In general, for those of us who are always critical of the free market and demand public and Community management of the economy, it would certainly be good news, but beyond the headlines we have to look at the content, because not all industrial policies are the same.
Last year the companies of Hego Euskal Herria produced material worth EUR 500 million for the Spanish Army
The first example, that of the Next Generation funds: it has targeted big capital, but there is no clear evidence as to whether it has influenced the level of production. However, what seemed like a new ecologist Keynesianism is being replaced by a classic war Keyneasianism. This is evidenced by the European Commission’s new strategy for the defence industry, which sets as one of its objectives the promotion of trade geared to defence at internal level, so that 50% of the materials produced are marketed within the European Union by 2030.
On that chessboard, where do we stand? The Basque Country stands out for being an exporter. A third of what we export goes to Germany and France, precisely, to the main promoters of the war economy and to the sectors that, directly or indirectly, are suppliers of the defence industry. Aeronautics, steel and vehicles are half of what we sell to Germany and one third of what we sell to France. In addition, 10 per cent are weapons and ammunition. As if that were not enough, according to the Delàs Peace Research Center, last year the companies of Hego Euskal Herria produced material worth 500 million euros for the Spanish Army. Therefore, the design of the industrial policy of the Basque Country requires confronting this uncomfortable truth and, consequently, deciding how we stand in this warmongering escalation.
Bidali zure iritzi artikuluak iritzia@argia.eus helbide elektronikora
ARGIAk ez du zertan bat etorri artikuluen edukiarekin. Idatzien gehienezko luzera 4.500 karakterekoa da (espazioak barne). Idazkera aldetik gutxieneko zuzentasun bat beharrezkoa da: batetik, ARGIAk ezin du hartu zuzenketa sakona egiteko lanik; bestetik, egitekotan edukia nahi gabe aldatzeko arriskua dago. ARGIAk azaleko zuzenketak edo moldaketak egingo dizkie artikuluei, behar izanez gero.
Wikipedia.org considers that Gish gallop (Gish's gallop) or the machine gun of fallacies "is a technique of controversy that attacks the opponent with as many arguments as possible, without taking into account the accuracy or solidity of those arguments" and would have as side... [+]
The origin of the term lies at the beginning of the nineteenth century. At that time, the imperialist pretensions of the British Liberals clashed with the Russians, which spread in Asia and hindered the desire for colonization of England. To protect its interests, England used... [+]
Through the Wallapop app, I sold some mediocre loudspeakers before the summer. Maybe the product description was a little swollen, it's true. The shopper put me three out of five stars. It was clearly not worth it.
The next week, I drove from Irun to Bilbao to a man of my age,... [+]
I was once in the burial of a friend's father. Our friend asked us to take a flower from the bouquets, if they wanted to. I can't say no to flowers, let alone roses, especially red flowers. So I took a beautiful red rose.
With the rose in my hand, I greeted the acquaintances of... [+]
Our towns and cities do not take care of us. We lack land, green areas, community spaces. Our people are designed to serve the capital. In the care village, however, life is the center.
Before, there was a main street, a gigantic street that crossed the city. Consumption and... [+]
A few days ago, the new French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, joined the so-called "migratory confusion", one of the most pressing issues. It has provided the prefects of the State with clear mandates: zero tolerance towards immigrants and structures and prisoners who show... [+]
An interesting round table was held on 15 October at the meetings of working economists. It was attended by employers, the National Social Security Institute and a trade union centre in Osakidetza. The topic of debate was the absenteeism that increasingly has an impact on the... [+]
In the last year, it has happened to me to see people related to the non-professional realm in digital groups that have used artificial intelligence to give arguments to others. I share it as my own. One's own, but not linked to the sense of property, but processed from one's own... [+]
I started to mentally write my article while I was in the car. I usually have the best ideas in the car while driving alone. I'm going to Bilbao, to the Arriaga theater. The Artedrama company is today staging the Miñan play. It's Friday, October 25.
Approaching the atrium of the... [+]
The society in which we live is absolutely based on subordination. Over the centuries, our lives have been shaped according to it, and little by little the power of decision, freedom and sovereignty have been reduced. Sometimes they've taken us away with force, sometimes we've... [+]
What blew me a lot is the way some doctors talk to the patient. They talk to us about pain as if we were children. As I have had two kidney transplants, I know what I mean: among other things, I have had a tube inside my penis. Because of the anesthesia, I didn't feel how I got... [+]
The two main voters in Kanbo (the mayor and the prime minister) are the rabid ones. Three citizens have been beaten with a plainta, for protesting in favour of the eviction of the neighbor Marienea.Es the second time that, at 06:00 in the morning, they take us out of bed (with... [+]
“The time has come for courageous, comprehensive and noble proposals (…) for Euskal Herria to re-enter the world’s revolts,” said friend Hartu López Arana in her opinion article “For an effective aggression” published in ARGIA magazine in July 2018. Six years have... [+]