Nieuws van de afdeling

15 November 2004

European Constitution goes against the interests of the people

The concept text of the European Constitution does not deserve to be called Constitution. It is a political program of neo liberal cut that does not make Europe more democratic or transparent, but leads to militarisation of Europe. On more than one point, European civilians are worse off than before. The outcome of the several referenda that are to be held should be a loud and firm “No”, says Harry van Bommel, member of the Dutch parliament for the Socialist Party (SP).

11 November 2004

Sorrowful day for Palestine and the peace process

“The death of President Yasser Arafat means that this is a dark day for the Palestinians and for the peace process," said SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel today. The SP believes that it is of the greatest importance that the Netherlands is represented at the funeral at the highest level. “Arafat deserves to be honoured as a friendly head of state. He was a negotiating partner of the Dutch government."

6 November 2004

Resistance pays off – But the neoliberal agenda is still on the table

The trade union movement, the hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life who demonstrated against the government’s policies on the 2nd of October, the many who have taken strike action and the majority of the population who have rejected this government have together achieved a great success! The cabinet – composed of VVD (liberals), CDA (christian-democrats) and D66 (social-liberals) – has suffered a big defeat. Yet their plans to demolish the welfare state are not dead.

28 October 2004

Support for SP Motion: A more democratic system for choosing European Commissioners

Following the difficulties surrounding the installation of a new team of European Commissioners, the SP group in the Dutch national parliament (the ’Tweede Kamer’) has scored a success. The parliament voted today to support a motion from SP Member Harry van Bommel calling on the government to work in the European Council towards a revision of the system whereby Commissioners are nominated and approved.

25 October 2004

Iraqi delegation visits the Netherlands: Co-operation in bringing democracy and reconstruction to Iraq

From the 16th to the 24th October a group of progressive Iraqi organisations visited the Netherlands. The visit came at the invitation of the radical left Socialist Party (SP). Eight days were filled with meetings and debates around the subjects of democracy, elections, and party formation, all in preparation for the general elections in Iraq next January.

16 October 2004

SP calls for resistance to Bolkestein’s ‘Directive that came from Hell’

Representatives of trade unions and social organisations made it clear during the European Social Forum in London that they absolutely reject the proposed Directive on Services in the Internal market, Commissioner Frits Bolkestein’s “Directive that came from Hell”. On 11 November trade unions from several EU member states are organising a demonstration against the proposal outside the European Parliament in Brussels. At the ESF, SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard called on all of those present to turn up to the Brussels action, a call which was quoted as part of the ESF final resolution. She also promised to do all that she could to enable as many representatives of critical organisations as possible to be present at the meeting and has since written to Internal Market Committee Chair Philip Whitehead, a British Labour MEP, urging him to open the meeting to as broad an audience as possible.

International