International

With a month and a half to go, the campaign for the European elections on June 4th is once again under way. The most important debate between the parties' number one candidates took place last Tuesday in Brussels. In Brussels? Yes, you heard correctly, the debate between the six Dutch candidates was held in.... Belgium. European elections, like Dutch national elections, are organised around party lists, and the candidates present were in each case the 'lijsttrekkers', the leading name on the list. The six were invited into the European Parliament building to put each other to the test.

Clear political conditions must be put on any aid which the Netherlands gives to Burundi, according to a Parliamentary majority which backed a proposal to that effect from the SP and the centre-right CDA (Christian Democrats). SP development aid spokesman Ewout Irrgang explains: “From our contacts with the Burundian opposition it appears that they are also of the opinion that their country's government is receiving money from the Netherlands far too easily while that same government is perpetrating serious human rights abuses. This cannot go on, and I'm delighted that Parliament agrees with us on this.”