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NL Disturbing reports of discrimination on Polish-Ukrainian border
On Sunday 20 March, a protest will take place in The Hague to draw attention to equal treatment for all those fleeing Ukraine because of the Russian invasion. Several disturbing reports of discrimination at the Ukrainian-Polish border, with segregation taking place between refugees, emerged over the past week.
Will sanctions deter Putin?
The world is watching Putin tensely as he announces Russian recognition of the republics of Luhansk and Donetsk. An orchestrated security meeting in Moscow and rancorous speech by the Russian president usher in a new low point between Russia, Ukraine and the West. Will Western sanctions be enough to deter Putin from further violations of Ukrainian sovereignty? - This article follows in English -
European Court: EU may cut Poland and Hungary subsidies for violation of principles
In a long-awaited ruling, the European Court of Justice has allowed the European Commission to cut billions of euros from member states that violate democratic and rule-of-law principles. The case focuses in particular on Poland and Hungary, which had challenged the conditionality of subsidies before the Court. The ruling takes place within a wider debate in Brussels on how to deal with various authoritarian powers that challenge the Union from both inside and outside.
Towards EU-Africa summit
Last December, President Macron spoke of establishing a "fair system of peace and prosperity" at the upcoming EU-Africa summit in Brussels on 17 and 18 February. Now that France holds the EU presidency and Macron will thus be the host of this sixth summit, he can really start putting this ambition into action. According to the African Union (AU), this is an important moment for establishing long-term cooperation that represents more than just a donor-and-receiver relationship.
Saving democracy also requires action at home
On 9 and 10 December, US President Biden will hold his Summit for Democracy. It is good that Biden is drawing full attention to the democratic rule of law. After all, it is under pressure worldwide. The Netherlands is attending and our outgoing prime minister is expected to contribute. This offers our country a unique platform to stand up for democratic rights worldwide. As representatives of civil society organisations, we make a number of suggestions in this open letter.
North Macedonia with Thijs Reuten
North Macedonia with Thijs Reuten
On Sunday 31 October, the FMS travelled with Thijs Reuten, MEP (PvdA) to northern Macedonia for a three-day working visit to various civil society organisations, students, our sister party, other parties and political foundations. This trip took place at a politically turbulent moment: Zoran Zaev had resigned as prime minister because his party had lost the local elections. With this working visit, we wanted, among other things, to show our solidarity and demonstrate that northern Macedonia and the rest of the Western Balkans are not alone. Indeed, Thijs Reuten is in the European Parliament dealing with the Western Balkans, asylum and migration, human rights and rule of law and the community of values within the European Union.
EU cannot let migrants at the Belarus-Poland border down any longer
As the nights grow longer and colder, the dangerous situation at the border between Belarus and Poland intensifies. Hundreds, or maybe thousands, of migrants huddle together on the border in hopes of crossing over to Poland to reach the EU. This is a result of a ploy by Belarus's President Lukashenka to fly out migrants from the Middle East and Africa to Minsk with promises of guiding them towards EU territory.
Fighting for our democratic values
In the summer of 1988, as a 19-year-old history student, I visited Berlin. The wall divided the city and in my mind there was only room for the East-West world, in which we lived.
EU needs to condemn and tackle pushbacks more forcefully
The noises about so-called 'pushbacks' at Europe's external borders are getting louder and louder. Meanwhile, there are countless stories of refugees being harshly stopped, and even sent back, after they have already set foot on European territory. At a time when the EU expresses great concern about the many refugees trying to reach the EU via Belarus, it is all the more important to be aware that these refugees too are entitled to a fair asylum procedure in Europe. Repressing them with illegal methods should thus be out of the question.
Policy coherence: Still not a central part of the 2022 state budget
Last Tuesday was Budget Day, the day when the Cabinet traditionally presents the budget for the next year. Due to its caretaker status, the Cabinet was forced to present a policy-poor budget. This was not only reflected in the speech from the throne full of hollow words, but also reflected in the budget for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation (BHOS), where the 0.7% norm, the spending of 0.7% of GNI on development cooperation, is once again not met and remains stuck at 0.53%.
