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18 May 2010

Albright plan for NATO 'only fit for dustbin'

In the view of SP foreign affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel, 'NATO 2020', the new proposal for the reorganisation of the alliance brought forward by a commission under Madeleine Albright, is fit only to be thrown away with the garbage. The former US Secretary of State presented the proposal for a 'new strategic concept' yesterday in Brussels. While Van Bommel says that he is pleased that NATO's function has been discussed, but notes that the proposal endorses NATO's growing practices of the last ten years. "The war in Afghanistan has been a major embarrassment, but this is not admitted publicly," says Van Bommel. "In addition, no breakthrough is foreseen in the direction of any strengthening of the international rule of law in the form of the UN, while the nuclear strategy remains unchanged."

10 May 2010

Van Bommel urges government to protest Iranian executions

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel has urged Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Verhagen to lodge a protest with the Iranian government against the execution of five Iranian Kurds. According to various reports, four men and a woman were hanged on Sunday 9th May. Each had already spent a number of years in prison for activities on behalf of pro-Kurdish organisations. Reports also indicate that they were suspected of carrying out armed attacks.

10 May 2010

De Jong enthusiastic over aspects of new report on EU internal market

Professor Mario Monti today presented the report on the European internal market which he has written at the behest of the European Commission. SP European Parliament group chair Dennis de Jong responded positively to the report, in which Monti makes a number of proposals designed to increase support for the internal market amongst the broad public. Monti contends that the internal market must be orientated more towards the human and the social, something which the SP has long urged. De Jong is unhappy, however, with the proposal that health care be treated as an internal market sector, arguing that ’health care is no market’.

8 May 2010

‘No support for Greece under these conditions’

The SP yesterday voted against a support package for Greece totalling almost €5 billion. SP Member of Parliament and economics spokesman Ewout Irrgang said that the Greek debt must first be restructured before there is any chance that the Netherlands will ever see its money again.

7 May 2010

MEPs from SP, Green Left and D66 welcome approval of Baltic Pride

Euro-MPs from the SP, the Green Left and the centrist liberal D66 party have expressed their delight over the decision to give the go-ahead to Baltic Pride. Yesterday in Lithuania permission had been withheld for Baltic Pride, a demonstration by gays, lesbians and transsexuals. The reason given was the expectation of disorder brought about by counter-demonstrations. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong, shared the disquiet felt by MEPs from the Green Left and D66 over this ruling, pointing to the fact that under international law the Lithuanian government had a responsibility to protect participants in Baltic Pride. In the Baltic states brave men and women are forced to stand up for their right not to be discriminated against and should be able to count on the protection of the government, the MEPs contend.

7 May 2010

European Commission 'misunderstands nature of home care'

“Home care is health care and not an economic activity. The European Commission's advice is to see home care as commercial, a misunderstanding of its value." This was SP Member of Parliament Renske Leijten's reaction to a letter from the European Commission on the issue of putting home care – the equivalent of Britain's home help service – out to tender. "They obviously understanding nothing about the nature of home care," said Leijten. "Happily, it's only an advice note and not a ruling."

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