Nieuws van de afdeling

6 May 2010

The European Citizens' Initiative – a few comments

In the past the SP campaigned actively against the European Constitution and the 'Constitution lite', the Lisbon Treaty. We had and continue to have problems with sections of the Treaty, such as for example the potential it offers for the militarisation of Europe. We are, nevertheless, realistic: the Treaty is here and for the time being it won't be going anywhere. And so we will be making proposals for how the Treaty might be used, and doing what we can to resist the putting into practice of what we see as its worst aspects.

5 May 2010

'Peacekeeping can be conducted without bombers and warships'

Harry van Bommel was today one of tens of thousands of people who attended the Liberation Festival in Wageningen, marking the end of the Nazi occupation on May 5th, 1945. He took part with Green Left MP Femke Halsema and others in a political debate on freedom and the role of the Dutch armed forces. Van Bommel argued that cuts in the defence budget would not mean that the defence department could not continue to play an important role in matters of peace and security. "The Netherlands should be making savings on the offensive parts of the armed forces," Van |Bommel said. "We should not be purchasing new fighter planes, and we could also get rid of part of the navy. You don't need bombers and warships for peacekeeping tasks." These views were the opposite of those expressed by outgoing Christian Democrat Secretary of State Jack de Vries, who wants to exclude the defence budget from the coming round of cuts.

5 May 2010

De Jong: ‘Make the EU more democratic and more social’

‘You're establishing unchangeable rules for the social and economic future of our country, without giving the Dutch electorate the chance to express their views at the elections on June 9th.' So said Dennis de Jong, chair of the SP group in the European Parliament, confronting European Commission President Jose Barroso on Wednesday with the SP's views on the Commission's strategic plan ‘Europa 2020’.

5 May 2010

SP: 'EU must put a stop to use of cyanide in mining'

“It's taking too long to ban cyanide in the mining of gold. It's a menace to our waters and biodiversity. Its use must stop forthwith." So says SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard, one of the movers of a resolution aimed at getting the European Commission to introduce a ban on the use of cyanide in all mining operations.

5 May 2010

Who's going to pay for Europe?

In the Netherlands the elections turn above all on the question of who will pay for the crisis. What we in the SP are committed to is a rejection of economy measures which once again punish people who have the least to spend and even, through for example unemployment, those who have already been the victims of the crisis. It's the rich and the banks who should pay.

4 May 2010

SP demands effective regulation of employment bureaux for migrant workers

Social Affairs and Employment Minister Piet Hein Donner must immediately introduce a licensing system for employment bureaux which find work for foreign jobseekers. SP Member of Parliament and employment spokesman Paul Ulenbelt explains: “The introduction of permits would make it possible to exclude from the market any employment bureaux which do not operate in a bona fide manner, once and for all. The Union of International Employment Bureaux (known by its Dutch acronym, VIA) did put in place a quality mark designed to guarantee that affiliated bureaux treat foreign workers decently, but it has now been established that some members simply don't do that. Yet they aren't dealt with, all that happens is that the manager of the firm in question is made 'non-active'. This means that the quality mark in now worthless."

International