International

Integration and equal treatment are, in the opinion of SP Member of Parliament Sadet Karabulut, the answer to growing division and radicalisation in the Netherlands. “People from diverse backgrounds are sometimes fearful, they feel themselves to be misunderstood and excluded. It’s time to breathe new life into Article 1 of the Dutch Constitution. Everyone who lives in the Netherlands must be subject to equal treatment, in terms of both rights and duties, without regard to religion, origin, gender, colour of skin or sexual orientation.”

The SP is extremely concerned about developments around the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada. Negotations on the treaty are now complete, and it remains only for it to be approved. A glance at the contents shows that CETA is in fact the TTIP by the back door. The SP is opposed to both treaties.

SP leader Emile Roemer, along with the party’s Senate group leader Tiny Kox and General Secretary Hans van Heijningen, is visiting the refugee camps in Greece. Despite the massive problems with which Greece is faced, the left Syriza government is doing all it can to organise the decent reception of the refugees. On the third day of their visit, the three spoke with Deputy Minister of Defence Dimitris Vitsas.

The SP doubts that the arbitration system known as Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) is compatible with the European Union treaties, and is seeking therefore an official opinion from the European Court of Justice on the issue. The European Union of Judges recently made a number of sharply critical observations regarding the ISDS, while the German Judges' Council has also published an opinion casting doubt on its compatibility.

During the last few days a great deal of attention has been paid to a European Parliament study of the economic damage caused by EU internal border controls. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong finds this open to question. “The EP study hasn't even been published yet and is only expected in mid-April,” he points out. ”There is indeed a presentation in the Internal Market Committee today, but that's based on a provisional analysis which the researchers base in turn primarily on a paper by the Bertelsmann Foundation. That paper has just come out, but is itself to a great extent based on a World Bank study. That's not all that convincing. When you're calculating the negative economic consequences of border controls, what you base this on is of crucial importance: are there, as with toll-gates, applications of modern technology involved? Are there identity checks alone, or are customs and excise controls also performed? This is all extremely unclear and so it would be better to wait for the definitive study carried out by the European Parliament itself? “.

The government in Kiev is no bastion of a free democracy. On the contrary, the present administration was helped into power by violence and is characterised by repression, corruption and chauvinism. Half of the population, which does not believe in the present pro-European and anti-Russian course, has been determinedly pushed aside, while there is a disturbing link between fascist groups and the centre of power in Ukraine.

SP leader Emile Roemer, along with the party’s Senate group leader Tiny Kox and General Secretary Hans van Heijningen, is visiting the refugee camps in Greece. Despite the massive problems with which Greece is faced, the left Syriza government is doing all it can to organise the decent reception of the refugees. On the second day of his visit, Roemer spoke with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

SP leader Emile Roemer, along with the party’s Senate group leader Tiny Kox and General Secretary Hans van Heijningen, is visiting the refugee camps in Greece. Despite the massive problems with which Greece is faced, the left Syriza government is doing all it can to organise the decent reception of the refugees. ‘The Greeks can be proud of themselves and of their government,’ says Roemer. ‘I know of countries in Europe in much better financial and economic condition which could take their example from them.’

On Wednesday I went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to examine secret documents relating to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). A closed reading room was set up in the Ministry on 1st February, containing reports of the TTIP negotiations between the EU and the US. In order to gain access I had to sign a declaration agreeing to maintain absolute secrecy, my telephone had to be switched off and I was under the permanent surveillance of a security guard. I am not allowed to communicate anything about the documents to a parliamentary policy adviser who was also there. Because of this sort of puppet show, the TTIP reading room is also known as ‘the darkroom’.