"Instead of getting to grips with the root causes of the crisis, we are still dealing with the symptoms" GUE/NGL President Lothar Bisky said insisting that "recent decisions at EU level resembled a list of demands from the financial markets".

"Banks have been getting away scot-free and continue to happily speculate while the risks of their actions are borne by the states. The savage austerity packages are forcing people to pay the costs of a crisis they did not cause, limiting consumption and preventing much-needed economic growth."

In a vote today in the European Parliament a draft first reading deal with Council was rejected because it did not match our expectations of a genuine simplified arrangement for third country nationals seeking residence or work on the territory of the European Union.

Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE group leader, commented after the vote:
"The Liberal and Democrat group in the European Parliament strongly supports the idea of a single permit for third country nationals who wish to reside or work in a Member State of the Union."

Spanish draft bill to regulate online gambling puts more than €100m in advertising and sponsorship for Spanish sports at risk

Madrid/Brussels/London, 14 December 2010 – The Spanish regional and federal governments will meet this week to discuss the final form of a Draft Bill to regulate the online gambling market in Spain, due to be presented to Parliament early in the New Year.

In the framework of yesterday´s debate at the European Parliament on European neighbourhood policy, the members focused on the most recent EU visa agreements with Georgia and Russia.
 

Denouncing EU silence on the campaign of intimidation and censorship being suffered by the Wikileaks website, Cypriot GUE/NGL MEP Takis Hatzigeorgiou called on Commission President Barroso to stand up for freedom of expression today in the European Parliament.

"The question of freedom of the individual seems to be forgotten about in this debate" he said. "These events are being used to ultimately put brakes on and restrict the freedom to exchange information."