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8 October 2004

TweedleKerry, TweedleBush: US voters face choice which is no choice

In the Netherlands and many other European countries the assumption has been too easily made that the United States would become in every way better under John Kerry than it is under George W. Bush. Some go so far as to express the opinion that Kerry would be as markedly to the left as Bush is to the right. Yet by any European or Dutch standards both of then are well to the right, while it has to be said that the Kerry’s USA would follow much the same foreign policy as has Bush’s. The American two-party system offers only a narrow choice. This should make us think very hard about the currently mooted reform of our own electoral system.

5 October 2004

Council of Europe Assembly recognises importance of Social Forum

On a proposal from Dutch Socialist Party (SP) Senator Tiny Kox, the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe has, in its autumn session, recognised the importance of worldwide and continent-wide movements such as the World Social Forum and European Social Forum.

4 October 2004

Massive protest against neoliberal cuts

At least 300.000 people demonstrated in Amsterdam last Saturday, 2nd October, against cuts in social spending planned by the right-wing government of Jan Peter Balkenende. Museumplein, one of Amsterdam’s biggest squares, was packed with demonstrators, as were all of the streets leading into it from the city’s railway stations. The huge turnout might have been even larger, as many people were unable to reach the capital because the railways, despite employing every last bit of available rolling stock and personnel, simply could not cope with the numbers wanting to travel.

30 September 2004

Killing seals is no way to spend your holidays!

“The killing of seals as a tourist attraction, can it get any sicker?” SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel describes himself as “bewildered” in the face of the Norwegian plan to recruit tourists to shoot seals. The SP has decided on immediate action in the form of an email campaign directed at the Norwegian Embassy and demanded that the Dutch government lodge a strong protest. “If Norway doesn’t come to its senses, we will organise a tourism boycott,” said Mr van Bommel.

29 September 2004

Strong criticism after Kroes hearing

The European Parliament has announced that it expects Neelie Kroes to clear up a number of points regarding three separate matters before the Plenary Sitting in Strasbourg on 27th October. It is at this Plenary, a meeting which brings together the whole of the Parliament’s membership, that a vote will be taken as to whether her nomination for the position of Commissioner for Competition Policy is acceptable.

27 September 2004

Neelie Kroes ‘not fit to be European Commissioner’

DUTCH LEFT EURO-MP ERIK MEIJER CALLS GOVERNMENT NOMINATION INTO QUESTION

The Dutch government should withdraw the candidature for the European Commission of former government minister Neelie Kroes, according to Dutch Socialist Party MEP Erik Meijer. Mr Meijer, one of the 41-strong United Left Group (GUE-NGL), argues that “an ever-growing list of complaints about Ms Kroes’s past has cast doubt on her independence and integrity.” He cites Evidence regarding incorrect conduct surrounding the sale of six ships during her presidency of an export board as being “enough to prove that Kroes placed her own interests above the general good”.

International