Debt, a Tool for Crushing Democracy

Debt, a Tool for Crushing Democracy

The European Union has reimposed tight limits on states’ budget deficits — but with exemptions for military spending. After years of claims that austerity was over, we’re now seeing it used selectively to put limits on democratic choice. A man walks past the flags representing the EU member states at the headquarters of the European Commission on May 16, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. (Omar Havana / Getty Images) The “debt order” is back, warns Fr…