International

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong was today named one of the vice-chairs of the special committee on organised crime and corruption. ‘The work is starting not a day too soon,’ says De Jong. ‘Corruption costs an annual €120 billion, affects the poor more than anyone else, and is making the economic crisis worse. Fraud in financial institutions such as that which came to light less week at LIBOR, where there was also the alleged complicity of central banks, shows that financial criminality in the broad sense is becoming rampant. Because this sort of criminality is almost always transfrontier in nature, an approach based on European cooperation is clearly required. We will, via the special committee, be making proposals to ensure that criminals of this ilk, including fraudulent bankers, end up behind bars. They caused the crisis, but instead of having to atone for this, they continue to enjoy enormous salaries and bonuses.’

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong describes today’s vote in the European Parliament against further liberalisation of ground services at airports as ‘an important turnaround’. The Parliament’s Internal Market Committee, usually hugely enthusiastic when it comes to liberalisation, came out against the European Commission’s proposal for extending the liberalisation of baggage handling services at airports, when it voted on the measure today. ‘That even this committee sees no advantage to further liberalisation means an important ideological turnaround,’ says De Jong. ‘The vote was unanimous and thus breaks a trend that has been prevalent for many years, an important and hopeful sign in the midst of a crisis which broke out during recent years as a result of neoliberal policies.’