International

On Thursday, Secretary of State for European Affairs Frans Timmermans presented the public version of the Lisbon Treaty to Parliament. The SP has long urged the publication of a version of the Treaty understandable to all. According to SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel, there is however at least one page missing. "In the whole booklet of 32 pages there is not a single word about the fact that the Irish people said no to the Lisbon Treaty, which means that it cannot come into effect."

According to Van Bommel, the SP's parliamentary spokesman on European affairs, this is a serious omission. "The booklet is misleading because this important piece of information has been withheld from the public. The government is acting just as if the Irish never said 'no' and there's nothing whatsoever the matter. The French and Dutch 'no' are mentioned, but not this much more important Irish message. This is deception of the public." Van Bommel has drawn the Secretary of State's attention to this important omission. At the same time, he acknowledges that for the SP the booklet represents a welcome instrument to set the ball of public debate on the Lisbon Treaty rolling. Clearly, in this debate, the SP will be bringing all relevant facts to the attention of the Dutch people.