International

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong wants European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso to give his explanation of the departure from his post of European Commissioner John Dalli. Dalli was the subject of an enquiry from EU fraud watchdog OLAF during which he was accused of having too close links with a Swedish tobacco producer. Today, the director of OLAF appeared before the Parliament to give information on the affair, behind closed doors. 'Following the meeting with OLAF myself and my fellow MEPs still have a number of questions regarding Dalli,’ says De Jong. ‘These questions should be cleared up as quickly as possible and that can only be done by Commission president Barroso.'

SP Member of Parliament Arnold Merkies is calling on the government to make it clear, at the earliest possible opportunity, that it will not cooperate in delivering a third package of loans to Greece. ‘Before the elections Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that Greece should not count on receiving a multi-billion loan for a third time,’ says Merkies. ‘I want the prime Minister now to say whether he stands by these words.’