Brussels, 17/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - It does not seem likely that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will take up the invitation made to him by the EPP Group in the European Parliament (EP) on 16 February to speak about the initiative taken by his allies in the PVV, led by Geert Wilders, to set up a hotline on which Dutch citizens can complain about nationals from the newer member states. Rutte, unable to attend that day because of “other engagements”, according to a Dutch spokesman, will more probably discuss the matter in face-to-face meetings with MEPs and leaders of political groups on 1 March, on the sidelines of the European summit. A meeting has already been arranged with new EP President Martin Schulz (Germany).
The EP decided on Thursday to schedule a debate on this issue during the plenary session of 13 March, though the debate will not be confined simply to the PVV move, EP spokesman Jaume Duch said. The debate will discuss more generally “all the initiatives of this sort in the EU”, he said, though, of course, the PVV initiative will be a large part of the discussion. In recent days, several members of the Italian Lega Nord have said they would support a similar initiative in Italy.
The Conference of the Presidents of the political groups in the EP will decide a few days before the plenary debate whether specific action, such as the adoption of a resolution, should be taken, Duch said. He was at pains to point out that “'no official invitation” had been made to Rutte on Thursday by the Conference of the Presidents, the idea having been broadcast by the EPP. Antoine Ripoll, the spokesman for that group suggested that a minister from the Rutte government might be sent to Strasbourg on 13 March, in place of the prime minister. Whether with or without a minister, the main thing is to have a debate, he said.
In the meantime, two EPP MEPs, Sebastian Valentin Bodu (Romania) and Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (Poland), called in a letter for the people of the countries being targeted by the PVV to boycott Dutch products, such as Heineken and Amstel beers, Dove cosmetic products and Shell petrol stations. And the list could go on, they said. This move, which is meant as a riposte to the PVV, was backed by other MEPs, including Mario Mauro and Elmar Brok, according to an EP source. Bodu and Saryusz-Wolski argue that when diplomacy fails, citizens have the right to take direct, democratic action, for example through their right to choose which products they buy. The letter does not reflect the official position of the EPP, said another source close to group leader Joseph Daul, who had not been informed and who feels this initiative goes “a bit too far”. (SP/transl.rt)