Nieuws van de afdeling

5 October 2012

De Jong: no visa liberalisation with homophobic Ukraine

The SP is urging that the proposed liberalisation of visa controls between the EU and Ukraine be stopped as a response to the latter’s homophobic laws. Newly introduced laws mean that people and organisations who give positive information or counselling on homosexuality can be sentenced to up to five years in prison. 'Europe must continue to take a firm stand for human rights,’ says De Jong. ‘A Ukrainian government which tramples over the rights of homosexuals should not be rewarded with a liberalised visa system.’

4 October 2012

'Never waste a good crisis'

Emile Roemer - Politicians and economists have at the moment an important decision to take. How can we get the budget in order and at the same time find a better way out of the crisis? Neoliberal economists and politicians believe that harsh spending cuts strengthen the economy. They are increasing the contribution people have to make to the cost of treatment under the health care system, and widening the income gap because they think that people will as a result work harder and take better care of themselves.

4 October 2012

De Jong: Increase in EU budget totally unrealistic

The European Parliament (EP) Budget Committee today proposed an increase of at least 6.8% - almost 7 cents in the euro. Describing the proposed sum as ‘totally unrealistic, SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong said, ’This is the umpteenth example of the Parliament’s “ivory tower” behaviour. While member states are often forced to take the most extreme austerity measures, the idea the EU budget must, on the contrary, rise is here alive and well. For ordinary people in the Netherlands, who are themselves confronted by the consequences of the spending cuts, this is extraordinarily frustrating.'

3 October 2012

Van Gerven ‘shocked’ by abuses in Brazilian soya cultivation

SP Member of Parliament Henk van Gerven describes himself as ‘shocked’ by tales of abuses on Brazilian soya plantations. Van Gerven spoke this afternoon with a Brazilian delegation on the effects of soya production on people and the environment.

2 October 2012

Kooiman: VVD must recognise reality of its bankrupt ‘weed pass’

After receiving uninformative answers from VVD (Liberal) Justice and Security Minister Ivo Opstelten regarding the so-called ‘weed pass’ – which will restrict access to cannabis sold in ‘coffee shops’ to residents of the Netherlands who register as users – SP Member of Parliament Nine Kooiman called on the minister’s party, the VVD, to stop hiding its head in the sand. ‘In my view there are only two people left in the Netherlands that believe in the weed pass, the Liberals Fred Teeven and Ivo Opstelten. Mayors, police officers, and local residents are screaming blue murder, but these two gentlemen are unmoved. The pass is a mistake, and they should admit it.'

2 October 2012

Gesthuizen: 'Don’t treat undocumented foreigners as if they were criminals’

In recent weeks SP Member of Parliament Sharon Gesthuizen has received appeals from hundreds of Dutch people calling for an end to the unnecessarily strict regime in detention centres for undocumented foreigners, many of whom are being unjustly treated as criminals.

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