Latest blog articles

In this entry I want to mention four considerations that suggest that human rights lawyers should be cautious in embracing basic income as a replacement for human rights. These reflections should be seen as merely exploratory. The basic income in full has never been put in practice, and consequently...

To speak of economic justice today is to speak of the basic income. A basic income can be defined as an unconditional cash payment to all persons who form part of a political community. As automation increases, there is fear that labor will be replaced by “robots”. The basic income seems to be a...

In May 2018 the European Commission presented the plan of a new financial framework for 2021-2027. In which is stated that the European Commission, among other things, aims to make the subsidies which are given to the countries, conditional upon the level at which a member state complies with EU...

Yelling, offensive language, indecent sounds, and to a certain extent even behaviors are being protected as ‘speech’ or as ‘symbolic speech’ by Article 7 of the constitution. If we believe criminal justice is an appropriate instrument, an intervention is only allowed on the part of the national...

No headscarves or other religious expressions in the police, in this way we impair the 'neutral' image associated with the police. ^{(Dutch only)}

Trevor Burrus claims that health care cannot be a fundamental right. He is not alone in saying this, but the way he says it is noteworthy. His article is not original (nor does it claim to be), but it represents an admirably clear retelling of an old story: Positive rights cannot be rights, this is...

Does Spain have a stong case from the perspective of the decentralised unitary state, to prevent Catalonia from the opportunity to gain independence, and therefore take numerous measures? ^{(Dutch only)}

Nederland raakt niet uitgepraat over referenda. En dat is niet zo gek, gezien de recente ervaringen uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk, Spanje en natuurlijk het Oekraïne-referendum. In het regeerakkoord staat dat de Wet raadgevend referendum wordt ingetrokken. Wat moeten we nou van referenda vinden?

A new perspective? What specific plans and suggestions has Juncker to encounter a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe? Are his plans realistic and do these proposals respond effectively to the issues of democracy and legitimacy? ^{(Dutch only)}

Juncker's proposals are focused top-down. However, European citizenship will not arise itself by positing in a convention. In short, the knowledge which is present in society, should be fully used. ^{(Dutch only)}