International

Last week, the Romanian Parliament voted to approve a legislative proposal to exclude politicians and lawyers from prosecution for corruption. Although Romanian President Traian Băsescu rejected the proposed law, it is the Parliament rather than the president which has the last word. The SP is demanding action from both the European Commission and the European Council, the body which directly represents the member states. ‘Yesterday Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding was still avoiding answering my oral questions,’ says SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong. ‘She referred to the periodic report on Romania’s progress in relation to justice and the law which the Commission will bring out in January. We really can’t wait for that. I have now put urgent written questions in order to get them to meet immediately with the Romanian government regarding the situation which has arisen. The subject must also be discussed at the European Council, so that the Romanian Parliament will see that this won’t be without consequences for cooperation with Romania in the area of justice.’

The SP will not be supporting Dutch participation in the UN force being deployed in Mali. There is insufficient confidence that the stated goals, which include restoration of state authority and reconciliation between the warring parties, will be achieved via a military mission. In the view of SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel, ‘the solution will not be brought closer by commandos hunting fighters in Mali’s north while at the same time negotiations on reconciliation are conducted with them.’