International

The SP will put its knowledge and experience at the disposal of the Irish 'no' campaign, which is calling on the Irish people to reject the Lisbon Treaty. The European Union is investing €180 million in the hope of persuading the Irish to say 'yes' to a treaty which they have already rejected once. The SP sees this as misuse of taxpayers' money and, in response, is looking to lend the 'no' camp its support, offering it the benefit of the experience gained in the successful campaign for a 'no' vote in the Netherlands' own referendum of 2005, which resulted in the rejection of the European Constitution, a proposal almost identical to the Lisbon Treaty.

With the bringing to light of yet another major instance of fraud, concerning the investment fund CIG Biodiesel, the SP has had enough. 'The Netherlands must regain the ability to control of its own financial sector,' says Dennis de Jong, number one candidate on the party's list for the coming European elections. 'Finance Minister Wouter Bos says repeatedly that he can't intervene with Brussels. But when is it going to dawn on him that there's something wrong with Brussels' rules?”