Nieuws van de afdeling

10 January 2012

Candidate for EP President Martin Schultz shows no concern for democracy

Next week, the European Parliament will elect a new president. Although there are three candidates, Martin Schulz, currently leader of the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (PASD), the Parliament’s second biggest political group, is already openly referring to himself as the “future president”. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong explains: “For years the Parliament’s two major groups, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the centre-left PASD, have divided the most important functions between themselves to the exclusion of other parties. With the aim of putting an end to this cosy arrangement, I am actively supporting the independent candidacy of Diana Wallis. That Schulz is already calling himself the future president demonstrates that he does not take democracy within the EP seriously. Moreover, he has this week advised his own supporters to postpone a controversial resolution on Hungary which was to be put this week, because of pressure from the PPE. Such a person is not fit to be president.”

2 January 2012

Why the realists are right and the federalists are wrong

Precisely ten years ago, on 1st January 2002, the euro became the only legal currency in the countries which had adopted it. We take a look back at the run-up to the single currency’s introduction, and look also at the links between the mistakes which were made at the time and the crisis in which Europe now finds itself.

26 December 2011

No arms trade with repressive regimes

The government of Mark Rutte refuses to introduce an arms embargo against dictatorially-governed countries. With this refusal, the government is opting to have blood on its hands.

26 December 2011

Arms for Indonesia immoral

Christian Democrat MP Henk Jan Ormel was way off target with his argument that the sale of tanks is completely compatible with a dialogue on human rights, writes SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel.

24 December 2011

SP demands emergency debate on food speculation by Dutch pension funds and banks

SP Member of Parliament Henk van Gerven is calling for a debate with the government on Dutch pension funds and banks which speculate in food commodities.

21 December 2011

SP supports European Parliament condemnation of degrading conditions in member states’ prisons

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning the existence of degrading prison conditions within the European Union. ‘This sends a powerful signal from the Parliament to all member states that such conditions in detention facilities must be prevented throughout the European Union,’ says SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong.

International