International

On Friday I decided not to react to the guilty verdict in the trial of Geert Wilders, the far right leader arraigned for leading a chant calling for Moroccans to be deported. As a politician in a democracy it isn’t your place to comment on the judicial power. We do after all have a separation of powers in the Netherlands, and however tempting it may sometimes be, it behoves us to keep our views to ourselves.

Each year after the government has presented its programme for the coming period, which in this case will end in March with the general election, parties in both houses of the Netherlands’ Parliament present and debate their response. Today was the turn of the upper house, with SP Senate leader Tiny Kox launching a blistering attack on the government’s record.

The SP is the only party which can close the enormous gap which has opened across society, said Emile Roemer, following his re-election by the Party Council to head the list for next year’s general election. “There is a yawning gap between the small group which does very well for itself and the rest of the population,” Roemer told the Party Council, which is made up of every branch chair and a few ex-officio members, and is the SP’s supreme decision-making body between National Congresses. “If the SP gets into power, then the Netherlands by 2020 will look completely different. With more democracy, more power for ordinary people. Because as things stand people have no longer any say over their work, their school or their neighbourhood, so we will make sure that they regain a voice.”

What a lot of severe criticisms were made, after all, about the referendum. What, once again, a great deal of scaremongering went on. The usual pundits, such as Trouw columnist Rob de Wijk, who saw the referendum as a danger to our democracy. But serious people too, like the vice-president of the Council of State Piet Hein Donner, who claimed that the referendum was in conflict with the autonomy of Members of Parliament. But you gave us, all the same, your advice.

A large majority of the voters has said 'no' to the European Union’s Association Agreement with the Ukraine, a treaty which must be ratified by all 28 EU member states before it can come into force. Commenting on the result shortly before the final tallies were made, SP leader Emile Roemer said: "It's now clear that the Netherlands has voted en masse against this treaty. Politicians in general and the government in particular cannot ignore this result. The Netherlands' no-vote is good for Ukraine, good for the Netherlands and good for Europe."