Nieuws van de afdeling

17 January 2007

The SP, a party with an international orientation

The SP has been unjustly reproached as a party which turns its back on all that lies beyond the Netherlands, a charge which fails to do justice to its international involvement in the struggle for a better and fairer world. The charge appears to be based on rancour, ignorance and a misguided vision of international solidarity, argue party secretary Hans van Heijningen and Arjan Vliegenthart of the SP's research bureau.

16 January 2007

Little support for rigged EP elections

As expected, the German Christian Democrat Hans-Gert Poetering was this morning ‘elected’ as the new President of the European Parliament. What this rigged election did demonstrate is that there is a great deal of resistance to this system of political horse-trading, under which positions are decided and distributed behind closed doors. Poetering’s majority was significantly smaller than the majority which can be mustered by the total membership of the two political groups which cooked the deal up.

15 January 2007

Poetering elected European Parliament President… behind closed doors

The Christian Democrat Hans-Gert Poetering will be voted European Parliament President tomorrow in an election which is pure show. Condemning the process as wholly undemocratic, SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard said that “two-and-a-half years ago a deal was done between the two big political groups of centre-right (EPP) and centre-left (PES). They agreed that following the presidency of social democrat Josep Borrel Fontelles, Mr Poetering would have his turn. So, as usual, a president emerges from behind closed doors.”

12 January 2007

Stern criticism from European Court demands changes in Dutch asylum policy

In a judgement issued on Thursday, the European Court of Human Right (ECHR) in Strasbourg made a series of tough, fundamental criticisms of the way in which an asylum request by a Somali refugee was dealt with. SP Member of Parliament and asylum policy spokesman Jan de Wit said that he was pleased with the ECHR’s ruling. “The Court pointed to shortcomings to which we have called attention for some years,” he said. “It seems to me clear that far-reaching changes in policy are needed if we are to comply with this judgement. I will bring these up next week during the debate on the annual budget for the Justice Ministry.”

11 January 2007

Labour inspectorate must act against lack of concern for safety of Polish workers

Polish workers in the Netherlands are being sent by employment bureaux to do jobs which the bureaux know full-well are dangerous, and to employers known not to comply with the legally-specified conditions for such work. This was shown earlier this week when a nationally-broadcast current affairs programme focused its attention on the safety of eastern European workers in the Netherlands. SP Member of Parliament and employment spokesman Jan de Wit has asked Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Employment Henk Van Hoof if he intends to have the labour inspectorate deal with this abuse. Inspectors should, Mr De Wit says, ensure that employment bureaux are careful only to send workers to firms which comply with the legal requirements relating to the conditions of workers performing the work on offer.

9 January 2007

Support action on access to medicines in the Third World

The Dutch government must support countries which produce cheaper versions of patented medicines. So say SP Members of Parliament Agnes Kant and Ewout Irrgang, who want the pharmaceutical concern Novartis to withdraw a legal challenge to India's legislation on patents. In addition Ms Kant, the SP's spokeswoman on health issues, and Mr Irrgang, development spokesman, want the US government to end its interference with Thailand's production of cheap generic medicines. The two are asking government ministers Hans Hoogervorst and Gijs Van Aardenne to take action. If Novartis and the US government succeed, millions of people in the Third World will be deprived of affordable generic medicines.

International