Netherlands News in English
Netherlands news in English — Dutch national headlines covering politics, housing, immigration, the economy, transport and daily life, translated and updated throughout the day for the international community.
Doors of Velserbroek residential complex wide open for a month: 'Strangers recently entered a neighbor's home again'
The doors of the De Hofstede residential complex in Velserbroek have remained open for nearly a month due to a malfunctioning entry system. Residents have expressed concern for their safety after unau...
Renewed unrest at Gierstraat-Breestraat corner. Felled trees and new hospitality permit application raise eyebrows
Tensions have resurfaced at the corner of Gierstraat and Breestraat in Haarlem after the property owner cut down several trees and submitted a new catering permit application. The local city council h...
‘Wopke Hoekstra, we are counting on you’: Brussels rules on sensitive abortion plan
The European Parliament in Brussels is set to vote on a controversial plan aimed at ensuring access to abortion care across all EU member states. This initiative has sparked significant debate and cou...
Coastal towns want mandatory insurance after cutter runs aground, Fisherman's Union supportive
Coastal municipalities in North Holland are advocating for mandatory liability insurance for vessels under 300 tons following the costly stranding of an uninsured cutter near Zandvoort. The Dutch Fish...
Investor home sell-off continues
Investors sold the highest number of homes in the fourth quarter of last year since 2021, according to data from the Dutch Land Registry. This trend indicates a continuing wave of property divestment ...
Jetten does not yet know what the new state pension plan will look like
Prime Minister Rob Jetten stated during a parliamentary debate that he does not yet know the specific details of the new plan to increase the state pension (AOW) age. He deferred the matter to the Min...
Bontenbal expects unions to discuss retirement age
CDA leader Henri Bontenbal expects labor unions to engage in discussions with the government regarding the proposed increase in the state pension age. This statement came in response to questions from...
CNV also rejects motion to 'soften' state pension cut
The Dutch labor union CNV has expressed strong opposition to a parliamentary motion aimed at softening planned government changes to the state pension age. Chairman Piet Fortuin argues that any accele...
JA21 is not looking for conflict, Eerdmans says
JA21 party leader Joost Eerdmans stated during a debate on the government's policy statement that his party is seeking solutions rather than conflict. He expressed hope that the cabinet would accept t...
Arrests after discovery of thousands of ecstasy pills and kilos of amphetamine
Police arrested two suspects in a Rotterdam home on Tuesday for involvement in drug production and trafficking. During the search, officers discovered thousands of ecstasy pills, five kilograms of amp...
Opposition accuses VVD of making middle class foot the bill
Dutch opposition parties have criticized the VVD, accusing the new government of placing the financial burden of increased defense spending on the middle class. Leaders from parties such as GroenLinks...
February Strike commemoration: speakers draw links to the present
Amsterdam's Deputy Mayor Rutger Groot Wassink addressed attendees at the 85th commemoration of the 1941 February Strike at the Dokwerker monument. During the event, he drew parallels between historica...
JA21, CU, and BBB also critical of cabinet U-turn on Box 3
Opposition parties JA21, ChristenUnie, and BBB have criticized the Dutch cabinet's decision to amend the proposed wealth tax legislation known as box 3. Finance Minister Eelco Heinen announced the shi...
Brussels divided over abortion access fund
The European Commission is set to decide on a proposal to improve abortion accessibility for women across Europe. Internal divisions within the Commission have left the outcome of the upcoming vote un...
Wilders advocates for ‘remigration’, a controversial far-right term
PVV leader Geert Wilders advocated for "large-scale remigration programs" during a parliamentary debate on the government's statement. The term has been identified by the Dutch National Coordinator fo...
FNV also disagrees with 'mitigation' of state pension cuts
The FNV, the largest trade union in the Netherlands, has expressed its disagreement with a proposal by the Dutch House of Representatives to mitigate changes to the state pension (AOW). The union main...
PvdD and DENK accuse D66 of not standing up for Palestinians
DENK disappointed by cabinet's lack of anti-discrimination policy
DENK leader Stephan van Baarle has criticized the new Dutch cabinet's coalition agreement for its lack of new measures and funding to combat discrimination. He argued that the government is merely rec...
Jan Jaap van der Wal never prepares his jokes for ‘Dit was het nieuws’: ‘I try to be in the moment’
Food bank in East faces homelessness: ‘A month ago we heard the building will be demolished’
Elon Musk’s AI app makes Dutch Parliament perform Nazi salute in 10 seconds: ‘Holy crap’
An investigation has revealed that Elon Musk's AI tool, Grok, generates extremist and antisemitic content, including images of the Dutch House of Representatives performing the Nazi salute. Organizati...
6 unique iftars in Amsterdam: break the fast with a twist
Robert Anthony (1938-2026), of the iconic Brothers Grimm, was a colorful character and Amsterdam legend
Mara goes crazy meeting Snoop Dogg in person: This is just a dream
American rapper Snoop Dogg visited Amsterdam to open a new coffeeshop and perform two sold-out shows at the Melkweg venue. Hundreds of fans gathered in the city center to catch a glimpse of the star, ...
Being nice but promising nothing: a tightrope walk for D66, VVD and CDA
The Dutch minority alliance of D66, VVD, and CDA is navigating a delicate balance between cooperating with the opposition and preserving their own policy goals. During their first major debate, the pa...
Who knows where missing Sophia (37) from The Hague is?
The family and police are searching for 37-year-old Sophia (Yiqun) Wang, who disappeared after leaving Amsterdam's Amstelstation around midnight on Friday, February 20. Originally from The Hague, auth...
81-year-old man found dead in Amsterdam East home was victim of a crime
Body found in Amsterdam East home, possible foul play
A deceased person was discovered in a residence on De la Reijstraat in Amsterdam-East on Tuesday evening. Police have launched an investigation into the death, which is being treated as a potential cr...
Artwork in Kostverlorenvaart will not return after years of municipal stalling
February Strike commemoration at Willem Kraan monument: "Paver who stood up for others"
A commemoration of the February Strike took place in Amsterdam's Nieuw-West district at the monument dedicated to resistance hero Willem Kraan. Kraan, a streetmaker, was one of the key initiators of t...