International

If it were up to the SP, a parliamentary inquest would begin in the short term into the firms and individuals named in the Panama Papers. The SP has joined Green Left and the PvdA (Labour Party) in bringing forward a proposal to that effect. SP Member of Parliament and financial expert Arnold Merkies explains: "Every year billions of euros are lost to tax evasion and tax avoidance through shady constructions that remain well hidden from everyone. Money that could have been spent on health care, roads or education. The Panama Papers are bringing matters to light that should have been revealed much sooner, by means of a sound tax inspectorate and effective agreements with other countries. We’re still chasing after the facts. It’s time that tax havens and shady fiscal constructions were dismantled."

SP leader Emile Roemer spoke in today’s debate with the government of the fate of the victims of the attacks in Brussels. "Our neighbours have been hit," he said. "A blow has been struck against our friends. They are in mourning and with them, we remember." In the debate Roemer pointed once more to the still poor cooperation between security services in Europe and to the need for additional measures to prevent radicalisation in the neighbourhoods. "The threat of an attack will never be wholly removed," he noted. "But we can certainly do more. To defend our constitutional state and our democracy against those who threaten our freedom. Do more – with prevention and a hard approach."

The SP doubts that the arbitration system known as Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) is compatible with the European Union treaties, and is seeking therefore an official opinion from the European Court of Justice on the issue. The European Union of Judges recently made a number of sharply critical observations regarding the ISDS, while the German Judges' Council has also published an opinion casting doubt on its compatibility.

The opportunities for tax avoidance offered by the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and other trade treaties represent the umpteenth disaster in a thoroughly disastrous dossier. This was the SP’s response to a report published yesterday by the Transnational Institute (TNI) and Global Justice Now. Although countries are adding explicit reservations regarding tax issues to trade treaties to which they are party, it turns out that corporations still see an opportunity to bring and even win arbitration cases in relation to taxation.

Volkskrant editor Bert Lanting is unimpressed by the criticisms of the EU Association Agreement with the Ukraine lodged by Jan Roos of GeenPeil, the group whose initiative led to the referendum on the issue. That’s understandable, in that Roos boasts of never having read the text of the treaty, which is rather silly. But that Lanting himself tells us that there’s nothing wrong with the agreement, when he hasn’t bothered to look at the relevant parliamentary debate, is harder to understand.

The treaty with Ukraine will not benefit the fight against corruption. This struggle in desperately necessary in a country where corruption hasn’t just harmed the system: corruption is the system. That’s why Ukraine has a high score in the corruption index. One Dutch company, the shipbuilder Damen Shipyards, found that out the hard way.

China is no market economy, and should not be accorded the status of one. That’s the SP’s standpoint in relation to an issue debated today by the European Parliament. China is far from fulfilling the criteria laid down by the European Union, and if classed as a market economy would gain disproportionately great competitive advantages.

The PvdA (Labour Party), the junior partner in the Netherlands’ coalition government, is no longer an opponent of airstrikes being carried out by Dutch F-16s on ISIS targets in Syria. This is a remarkable decision, because the arguments against bombing used by this party in the recent past are still valid. The civil war in Syria has already led to the deaths of more than 260,000 people and created tens of millions refugees. From humanitarian considerations it’s clear that intervention is needed, but the lessons of previous interventions must not be forgotten. For these reasons we were pleased by the Labour Party’s refusal to give its support to airstrikes. Its leader, Diederik Samsom, was right to observe that what was needed first was a political plan for the future of Syria. There is still a need for such. Warring parties are arguing about who gets a seat at the negotiating table.

The struggle against terrorism and for the protection of the constitutional state should not be at odds with each other but, on the contrary, ought to be mutually reinforcing. To fight terrorism by restricting human rights is to play into the hands of the terrorists. Member states of the Council of Europe have the right and duty to protect their citizens from terror. At the same time they must continue to guarantee the fundamental values of the European Convention on Human Rights. Only in that way can terrorism be defeated. A resolution to this effect was adopted this week with broad support by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). PACE also voted in favour of a large number of amendments from SP Senator Tiny Kox, who chairs the United Left Group in the Assembly. The amendments were designed to make the fight against terrorism in the future more efficient and more effective.