Nieuws van de afdeling

5 October 2016

SP: Binding declarations do nothing to improve CETA

The binding declarations which the European Commission is seeking to formulate have no legal worth and will not help get rid of the problems of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada, according to renowned Canadian lawyer Steven Shrybman of Goldblatt Partners. SP Euro-MP Anne-Marie Mineur argues that only a resumption of negotiations on the text of the treaty can make a real difference.

4 October 2016

Ronald van Raak: Will Curaçao become a criminal state?

The former Prime Minister of Curaçao, Gerrit Schott has been sentenced to three years in prison. Yet he has managed to still participate in the upcoming elections and according to the polls, his party will come out as the biggest one. This means that the possibility is there that this coming Wednesday a convicted felon, a puppet of the gambling industry, will be back in parliament.

28 September 2016

Referenda: strengthening of democracy or new sickness?

In the wake of Brexit, voices are being raised in ever more European countries in favour of referenda. In the Netherlands too, local authorities are opting in increasing numbers for this form of direct democracy. Does this offer new opportunities, or is it a threatening development?

28 September 2016

SP leader Emile Roemer on report on downed airliner MH17: another step closer to the truth

“This is an important day for those who were close to the victims. A thorough and careful report has been done. An important phase in the criminal enquiry has been completed. The circumstances and the location of the attack on MH17 have been confirmed.” This was the reaction of SP leader Emile Roemer today to the interim report of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), the body charged with conducting the criminal enquiry into the July 2015 attack on flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in Ukrainian airspace.

21 September 2016

Loud 'no' to stranglehold trade accords

Foto: SP

Demonstrations in Germany and Austria had already brought some 300,000 people on to the streets to demonstrate against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the US and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada. In Brussels today, 15.000 were added to that total, with representation from trade unions, political parties, consumer groups, environmental organisations and groups which stand for good health care, food safety and democracy. The SP was amongst those present. “If you don't say no you get two,” said SP Euro-MP Anne-Marie Mineur. “TTIP and CETA must be chucked out, and as soon as possible.”

21 September 2016

As election approaches, Roemer attacks government record

SP leader Emile Roemer today gave the SP's response to the government's plans for the coming year, announced on Tuesday. These included the centre-right-centre-left coalition's final budget before it must face the electorate. In his speech to Parliament, with next year's election looming, Roemer attacked the government's record, concentrating for the most part on domestic concerns, particularly the rising cost of health care and the increasing inequality of which it is a major cause. Young and old deserve better, he said. There were ever fewer permanent jobs, and student grants had been abolished. School classes were far too large. Pensions had been lowered, while banks were rescued with taxpayers' money and pension funds rack up record profits.

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