Nieuws van de afdeling

23 June 2005

SP: ‘No extra billion for European militarisation’

Today the SP delegation in the European Parliament voted against the proposal to add at least a billion euros a year to the military research budget. SP Euro-MP Erik Meijer said that “Europe is already far too militarised. This attempt to keep up with US defence production is an arms race which we should not begin.”

20 June 2005

This terrorism law will not solve problems

Jan de Wit, Member of Parliament for the SP, is sceptical about the terrorism law proposed to Parliament today by Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner. The law gives broad powers to courts and the police to pursue non-suspects and to lock people who are under suspicion up for long periods. In his response, Jan De Wit said “Terrorism must first and foremost be tackled intelligently, not in this crude fashion.”

17 June 2005

Kartika Liotard: ‘EU should put plans on hold until we know what people want’

SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard wants the idea in the motion put forward by her SP colleague in the Dutch national parliament, Harry van Bommel, which charges the government with the task of organising a broad national debate on the future direction of Europe, to be adopted also at the European level. In a meeting in Stockholm of European left parties last weekend, the decision was taken to gather at least a million signatures on a petition urging the holding back of any further far-reaching EU measures until a clear idea has been gained of what the citizens of the member states want from the European Union.

16 June 2005

EU finances: Better no agreement than a bad agreement

Europe must postpone an agreement over the new multi-annual financial framework until next year, and the coming year should be used to subject European finances to a fundamental review, says SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel. “The rejection of the European Constitution was a clear signal, pointing the way to a different Europe,” he argues. “To this different Europe belongs a different financial foundation.”

15 June 2005

Government still doesn't get it

“The government still thinks that the massive No to the European Constitution proves that the voters didn’t understand what was going on. In reality, however, it’s the government that doesn’t understand. The Constitution was weighed and found lacking. It was found to be a step too far, too quickly, and once more in the wrong direction.” So said SP Senator Tiny Kox during today’s policy debate with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and development Cooperation.

14 June 2005

Debt write-off step in the right direction

The SP has reacted with measured enthusiasm to the news that the debts of eighteen developing countries are to be written off. This decision means that hundreds of millions of euros a year will become available for investment in education, health care and other social sectors in the affected countries, most of which are in Africa.

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