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Veerman, Ronald
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4 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
The Netherlands fragmented on the EU level
Campaigning has begun in the Netherlands for the EU parliamentary elections in June. Geert Wilders' right-wing populist Party for Freedom (PVV) is in the running alongside a large number of smaller parties. The tabloid De Telegraaf fears the Dutch delegation in the European Parliament may be fragmented: "Although it will only become clear on June 7 how big the damage is, it seems probable that the Dutch delegation in the European Parliament will be fragmented among nine or ten parties. This is regrettable, because a small fraction in Europe ... represents a large handicap in such an enormous political playing field. Parties with one, two or three seats are forced to specialise and leave certain important dossiers entirely untouched. But above all the large number of newcomers bodes ill for a powerful Dutch presence in Brussels. Of course you can also make a virtue of necessity and ride your own European hobbyhorse, an option which the PVV will certainly not neglect."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Netherlands
The gap is widening
The tabloid De Telegraaf comments on the halt in negotiations between Flemish and Walloons in Belgium: "In fact no one is surprised, because everyone had seen the upcoming provincial elections on 7 June as a dark cloud hanging over the negotiations. ... For years now, however, these recurring national and provincial elections have been the nail in Belgium's coffin, continually miring the country in political immobility. Now their crippling effect can be seen in Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy's undertaking nothing this year, in a bid to prevent his budget deficit from rising well over three percent. In view of the elections, cutbacks and other unpopular measures are out of the question. ... As a result the already frustrated Flemish will shift even further in the direction of right-wing nationalism, causing the discrepancies to grow even larger."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Belgium
Ronald Veermann on the disadvantages of the rotating EU presidency
The Czech Republic had ambitious plans for its EU Council presidency, but after just a few days crises are topping the agenda. Ronald Veermann writes in the tabloid De Telegraaf that this is one more indication of the weakness of the rotating EU presidency: "Most EU presidencies have to forget their high aims within a few days and simply improvise. Because instead of a well-oiled Union what we see more and more is simply crisis management. ... And things are no different with the Czechs. Gas and Gaza are the sole topics on the agenda, and they require a sensitive hand on the rudder. The logical step would be to speedily formulate a clear EU line. But in practice this is much harder with an unwieldy and politically discordant Union, as we are now seeing in the EU's reactions to Russia and Israel. The upshot is that all we are capable of is empty condemnations that only underscore Europe's image as a political lightweight. ... The Scandinavians may mark the end of this trend, for if everything goes well the Treaty of Lisbon will go into effect in 2010. Then the EU will finally have a fixed president for at least two years."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Czech Republic, » Europe
Climate protection is spltting the EU
European leaders want to agree on measures for climate protection in Brussels. But the credit crisis and the recession will put a stop to Europe's ambitious climate plans, predicts the Dutch tabloid De Telegraaf. "The climate debate has become what everyone was afraid it would: a battle for money and jobs that has torn Europe asunder. Germany above all is coming under fire from the French and the British, who themselves had been subject to much criticism and for this reason are now presenting themselves in conspicuous harmony. ... Once more we see that of late member states are showing far more individualism than unity. For this reason we can expect fierce clashes today and tomorrow in Brussels. Which will we focus on first, the investment climate or investment in the climate?"
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Economic Policy, » Europe
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