International

According to MP Harry van Bommel from the Socialist Party of the Netherlands, the international community has a duty towards Iraq to help with cleaning up the remnants of depleted uranium ammunition in the country. 'Otherwise, the people of Iraq will suffer twice: first from the dictator Saddam Hussein and the way in which war against Iraq. That is unacceptable.' said Van Bommel.

"The biggest parties, the Christian Democrats (CDA), Labour (PvdA), and Liberals (VVD) have been punished for their pro-European course of the last few years," said SP leader Agnes Kant as the definitive European election forecast, based on exit polls, was published. Final results will not be available until other countries have voted on Sunday, but the usually reliable poll shows that the SP held on to its two seats in the European Parliament, receiving a higher share of the vote than last time. Because of enlargement of the EU, more votes are now needed to win a seat, as the number of seats to which the Netherlands is entitled has been reduced. "Once again we have gained," said Kant. “We haven't hit the jackpot as we'd hoped, but it's thanks to years of our efforts that so many parties have been critical of Europe's direction."