Nieuws van de afdeling

20 November 2003

Disquiet over treatment of Guantanamo Bay prisoners

ORLANDO, FLORIDA
There is growing disquiet in different NATO member states regarding the treatment by the American authorities of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. So much became clear during the annual meeting of the NATO parliamentary assembly in Orlando, when a proposal was accepted from SP senator Tiny Kox, a member of the Netherlands’ delegation, to send representatives to the American enclave on the island of Cuba to investigate whether or not international treaties are being respected and implemented.

20 October 2003

Wrong text for a European constitution

True constitutions have always resulted from discord, from angry citizens seeking to put an end to the omnipotence of their rulers. In the case of the EU constitution, this is not the case. The citizens, who do indeed want to see European co-operation to address trans-frontier nuisances and solve large-scale common problems, have never demanded the forming of a superstate with its own currency, military force and constitution.

14 October 2003

Autumn Agreement far too meagre a result, resistance to B II* must continue

SP CALLS ON TRADE UNIONISTS TO REJECT ACCORD

SP parliamentary group leader Jan Marijnissen has expressed his disappointment over the results of the annual ‘autumn meeting’ between government, trade unions and employers. Marijnissen sees the outcome as falling well short of the mark as far as social considerations are concerned. “Organised social solidarity is undermined on all sides: in public health insurance, social security and in the public sector as a whole. In exchange for very limited promises the trade unions have accepted what is a shoddy deal for all Dutch people, working or not, despite their earlier talk of the ‘antisocial policies’ of Balkenende II.*

1 October 2003

Ports Directive unworkable, will lead to more unrest

The compromise between the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers over the liberalisation of port services is unworkable, according to SP Euro-MP Erik Meijer. "This plan will lead to still more unrest in European ports," Mr Meijer said.

30 September 2003

Blowing Away the Stink of Corruption

Once again officials of the European Union have been caught with their hands in the taxpayers’ purse. A long-term solution would involve the thorough restructuring of the institutions. In the short-term, we need a Parliamentary Enquiry with powers to subpoena witnesses, argues Dutch Euro-MP Erik Meijer.

26 September 2003

Commentary on the Swedish ‘no’ to the Euro

The Swedish "no" to the replacement of the Kronor by the Euro was hardly unexpected. Euro-scepticism in the Scandinavian countries is widespread, partly because many Nordic people connect the undermining of the social and democratic achievements of the post-war welfare state with the rise of the European superstate, a superstate based on the slogan "more market, less government". Despite the urgent appeal by political and economic leaders, strongly supported by most of the Swedish media and expensive advertising campaigns, a majority of the population was prepared to vote to block the adoption of the euro. "The yes side had the leaders, the media and the money: we had the arguments," was how Gudrun Schymann of the Vänster (Left) Party summed up the events in her country.

International