Nieuws van de afdeling

14 June 2009

MP H. van Bommel: The Netherlands must assist in cleaning Iraq of the remnants of depleted uranium ammunition

According to MP Harry van Bommel from the Socialist Party of the Netherlands, the international community has a duty towards Iraq to help with cleaning up the remnants of depleted uranium ammunition in the country. 'Otherwise, the people of Iraq will suffer twice: first from the dictator Saddam Hussein and the way in which war against Iraq. That is unacceptable.' said Van Bommel.

11 June 2009

It's Official: Dennis de Jong and Kartika Liotard elected to European Parliament

The election of Dennis de Jong and Kartika Liotard to the European Parliament as representatives of the SP has now been confirmed by the official state Electoral Council. The two were respectively first and second on the SP list.

4 June 2009

SP keeps two seats on increased vote share

"The biggest parties, the Christian Democrats (CDA), Labour (PvdA), and Liberals (VVD) have been punished for their pro-European course of the last few years," said SP leader Agnes Kant as the definitive European election forecast, based on exit polls, was published. Final results will not be available until other countries have voted on Sunday, but the usually reliable poll shows that the SP held on to its two seats in the European Parliament, receiving a higher share of the vote than last time. Because of enlargement of the EU, more votes are now needed to win a seat, as the number of seats to which the Netherlands is entitled has been reduced. "Once again we have gained," said Kant. “We haven't hit the jackpot as we'd hoped, but it's thanks to years of our efforts that so many parties have been critical of Europe's direction."

4 June 2009

Drastic cuts needed in European farm budget

In an emergency debate yesterday evening, SP Member of Parliament Hugo Polderman called for a drastic reduction in European spending on agriculture, a position which now has the support of both Liberal (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) parties, and thus of a parliamentary majority. "A third of the total EU budget goes on farm subsidies, the vast bulk of which don't go to small farmers but to multinationals like Mars, and even corporations which have nothing to do with food production, such as Schiphol airport," says Polderman. "In other countries the subsidies are spent on golf courses, riding schools, and the British royal family. This must stop."

4 June 2009

The ongoing struggle with the colonial past

On 15th May the inhabitants of Curaçao voted 'yes' in a referendum proposing a new set of administrative arrangements with the Netherlands. The island, in common with its neighbour Sint Maarten, will become an independent country within the Kingdom. SP Member of Parliament Ronald van Raak is pleased that the population of Curaçao has opted for continued cooperation with the Netherlands, but warns also that, in relation to good governance and sound finance, a great deal of work remains to be done.

3 June 2009

Van Bommel: no second term for Kroes

“As far as we are concerned the discussion over a further term for Neelie Kroes is closed," said SP member of Parliament and spokesman on European affairs Harry van Bommel during Wednesday's parliamentary debate on the nomination of a new European Commissioner from the Netherlands. “In recent weeks Kroes has campaigned for her party, the VVD. In our view that isn't what a European Commissioner, an official who belongs in the background, implementing decisions from the member states and the European Parliament, should be doing.”

International