International

French President Emmanuel Macron's speech before the European Parliament this morning left ordinary people standing out in the cold. Reacting to Macron's performance, SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong said: ´Macron's huge panoramas are well-known, but he behaves like a giant with feet of clay. While he is creating chaos in France with his diehard neoliberal policies, he expects the European Union to stand by him. France's parliament, the Assemblée Nationale, which is the body closest to the country's citizens, is shoved aside by means of presidential decrees, while the institution which is furthest away from ordinary people, the EU, is supposed to restore democracy. That's completely beyond belief.'

Last night the US, UK and France launched a series of air raids on military targets controlled by the Assad regime in Syria. According to the three countries' own statements, this was in response to a gas attack by the Syrian army earlier this month. The Netherlands has expressed support ('understanding' in the jargon) for this military action by the western powers. This is completely misguided, because the American-led attack is, just as was the gas attack, a breach of international law.