Austerity kills

EU Relentlessly targeted members’ health spending over past decade

Abstract

A decade of austerity imposed by the European Union institutions and EU Member State governments has caused significant deterioration in healthcare services across the EU. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the EU’s healthcare and public sectors to be ill-equipped to respond to the outbreak in accordance with international best practice. The Stability and Growth Pact and the associated European Semester process have been the central tools used to enforce austerity across the EU since the 2008 financial crisis. As well as targeting healthcare spending, the European Commission has also singled out pensions, wage growth and job security, and welfare provision as areas for cuts.

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