International

There will be no new direction for the EU with Jose Barroso as President of the European Commission, which is why the SP won't be supporting his re-election. SP European Parliament group chair Dennis de Jong describes himself as "shocked" that Barroso denies that the EU shares responsibility for the crisis: “Under his Commission supervision of banks has been dismantled and financial institutions have been given a free hand. Now that millions of jobs are hanging in the balance, Barroso wants simply to go on throwing everything in the EU to the market as if nothing has happened. His neoliberal vision is a threat to any social Europe."

During the debate with Barroso, in which SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard participated, he came out with nothing but EU propaganda. “Barroso asserted that before the deregulation of the the PTT, postal service in the Netherlands, Portuguese migrant workers were treated like slaves by the state concern. An out-and-out lie! On the contrary, working conditions were excellent when the PTT was in public hands. Since deregulation thousands of jobs have been put in jeopardy and employees are being asked to accept pay cuts of 15%. What this shows is that Barroso doesn't know what he's talking about and will use any argument to push his neoliberal policy agenda."

The SP will continue to hammer away at the need for a progressive, social alternative when it comes to the formation of a new European Commission. In such an alternative, there is no place for Barroso, and next week the SP's Euro-MPs will for that reason be voting against his re-appointment.