Amongst the measures proposed by Esquerra is a European Economic Relaunch Plan to Rescue Individuals, Families and Businesses, in order to relieve the social and economic consequences of Covid-19

Esquerra Republicana is calling on the European Union for solidarity and cooperation in overcoming the health crisis through a European Economic Relaunch Plan to Rescue Individuals, Families and Businesses, amongst other measures.

In the face of one of the biggest crises the world has seen since World War II, Esquerra urges Europe to activate solidarity urgently and that it maintains its character as “a solidarity community” capable of mobilizing and redistributing resources as never before.

Esquerra Republicana thus offers Europe an idea to turn this crisis into the starting point for greater European integration and to move forward towards a stronger, social and ecological Europe.

To address what will probably be one of the most important shocks our society will suffer, both economically and socially, after the health crisis, Esquerra Republicana proposes 6 economic measures:

1. A European Economic Relaunch Plan to Rescue Individuals, Families and Businesses:

• A Confinement Basic Income for all citizens lacking dependable earnings due to the health crisis, to be funded by the European Central Bank.
• Issue of Eurobonds to cover long-term finance for the policies required to relieve the social and economic effects of Covid-19. This funding will not be subject to austerity measures.
• Creation of a new line of credit from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to guarantee permanent liquidity for small and medium enterprise.
• Urgent mobilization of all available European budget resources and upward revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027. Increase funding, if need be through European taxes on large digital companies or on financial transactions, for example. We need to move towards a European treasury and fiscal capacity for the euro area.
• An Investment plan for the relaunch. Immediately after the crisis, we will need an investment package that should focus on small and medium enterprise, on the self-employed and on quality public services, and should help guide our economy toward a social and green transition, in line with the Green New Deal.

2. Coordinate a gradual return to normal. The exit from confinement must be coordinated at a European level, taking into account all levels of government and the different effects of the pandemic on different groups and territories.

3. Create a genuine European Crisis Management Authority reporting directly to the Presidency of the European Commission and, amongst other things, also managing repatriation of EU citizens.

4. Create a strategic reserve of emergency medical and medical supplies, for the current and future crises.

5. Ensure that emergency measures taken by Member States do not curtail fundamental rights. The crisis should not be used as a pretext to erode democratic checks and balances, nor social and workers’ rights.

6. EU solidarity should not stop at its borders. Humanitarian aid and emergency medical resources need to be provided to the countries of the South, as well as to refugee camps. The spread of the virus exacerbates many of the humanitarian emergencies they are already experiencing.