Nieuws van de afdeling

16 April 2009

Parties' leading candidates in Brussels debate

With a month and a half to go, the campaign for the European elections on June 4th is once again under way. The most important debate between the parties' number one candidates took place last Tuesday in Brussels. In Brussels? Yes, you heard correctly, the debate between the six Dutch candidates was held in.... Belgium. European elections, like Dutch national elections, are organised around party lists, and the candidates present were in each case the 'lijsttrekkers', the leading name on the list. The six were invited into the European Parliament building to put each other to the test.

16 April 2009

'Brussels should keep its hands off ex-prisoners' work scheme.'

Dennis de Jong, number one on the SP list for the European elections, finds it "inconceivable" that European Union rules might scupper a social project for ex-prisoners. "Far too many prisoners return to crime on release," De Jong says. "We can combat this by offering then a useful way to fill their day, one which also gives them a way to earn money. Interference from Brussels is making this impossible."

14 April 2009

Dutch aid to Burundi: clear conditions must be attached

Clear political conditions must be put on any aid which the Netherlands gives to Burundi, according to a Parliamentary majority which backed a proposal to that effect from the SP and the centre-right CDA (Christian Democrats). SP development aid spokesman Ewout Irrgang explains: “From our contacts with the Burundian opposition it appears that they are also of the opinion that their country's government is receiving money from the Netherlands far too easily while that same government is perpetrating serious human rights abuses. This cannot go on, and I'm delighted that Parliament agrees with us on this.”

10 April 2009

Make the Netherlands a democracy!

Is the Netherlands a parliamentary democracy? According to our Constitution, it is indeed such. But not, I would say, under this government. As far as anything important goes, Parliament has no say, an example being the measures taken to combat the economic crisis.

10 April 2009

Complaints about European Parliament's two sites, from politicians with two faces

Politicians have been complaining for years about the European Parliament's trips between Strasbourg and Brussels. Every month, there and back, in cars, trains and aeroplanes full of MEPs, their assistants and EU officials go, followed closely by a pack of journalists.

9 April 2009

Making things difficult in opposition

Last week I found myself, quite unexpectedly, in an awkward predicament. I was obliged to defend the foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen of the centre-right CDA, against Labour Party (PvdA) attacks on the issue of EU enlargement. PvdA Member of Parliament Luuk Blom wanted to see Ukraine and Georgia given the prospect of EU membership, but Verhagen was unimpressed. For once I was in agreement with Verhagen. The EU has already grown too much and too quickly and Romania and Bulgaria, who have recently joined, were completely unready for membership. That is why the SP voted against the proposed enlargement.

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