Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Spanish PM: Iran conflict greater risk than Iraq war
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned his parliament that the current conflict in the Middle East poses a significantly greater global risk than the 2003 Iraq invasion. He characterized the pot...
Public needs more help and clarity on sustainability, says SER
The Social and Economic Council (SER) reports that Dutch households and small businesses face significant obstacles when attempting to make their properties more sustainable. The advisory body is call...
AEX index opens higher on hopes for end to war, oil price falls
The AEX-index in Amsterdam opened with gains on Wednesday, driven by optimism regarding potential peace negotiations between the United States and Iran. While U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that ...
Dutch National Ballet gives the VOC a place in classical ballet: updated version of 'La Bayadère' approaches history from a contemporary perspective
The Dutch National Ballet is introducing a revised production of the classical ballet 'La Bayadère' that incorporates the history of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) from a modern perspective. Chor...
US presented fifteen-point plan to Iran
The United States has reportedly presented a fifteen-point plan to Iran aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East. The proposal was delivered through Pakistan, which has expressed its willingnes...
Majority of Uitgeest councillors prefer another cooperation agreement
A majority of council members in Uitgeest, representing 12 out of 15 seats, have expressed a preference for establishing a cooperation agreement for the upcoming term. This indicates a continued desir...
Haarlem city council back to male majority, sparking GroenLinks anger: 'The patriarchy pressures women'
The Haarlem city council has returned to a male majority after two female candidates stepped down and yielded their seats to male party colleagues. GroenLinks council member Melissa Oosterbroek critic...
Asian markets rise, oil prices fall on hopes for end to war
Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday as investors hoped for a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. This optimism led to a decrease in oil prices, which had previously spiked due to regio...
Nearly 150,000 Ukrainians without power after Russian attack
Nearly 150,000 people in Ukraine's Chernihiv region are without power following a Russian attack on energy infrastructure. This outage follows previous strikes earlier in the week that targeted the re...
Dutch gas reserves drop to 5.8 percent, lowest level in 10 years
Dutch gas storage levels have dropped to 5.8 percent, marking the lowest level recorded in a decade. This data, reported by Gasunie's National Energy Dashboard, reflects a significant decline in the c...
Mice, Amersfoort ballots and purple pencils. Strange situations at polling stations in the Haarlem region
During the municipal elections on March 18, several unusual incidents occurred at polling stations in the Haarlem region. In Haarlem, voters discovered ballots intended for Amersfoort and a purple pen...
Iran: US negotiating with itself
An Iranian military spokesman mocked United States statements regarding potential negotiations over the conflict in the Middle East, claiming Washington is "negotiating with itself." These remarks, re...
Municipal spending rises by nearly 6 percent
Dutch municipalities expect to increase their collective spending by nearly 6 percent in 2026, reaching a total of 84.6 billion euros. According to data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), this represe...
Piet Buter (76) from Haarlem was Iran’s national coach: ‘Sanctions caused a shortage of aircraft spare parts’
Piet Buter, a 76-year-old from Haarlem, reflected on his two-year tenure as the head coach of Iran's national football team. He shared his experiences working in the country under international sancti...
Nieuw-Vennep residents go to court over 'too few' parking spaces at new development: 'Hundreds of new neighbors will soon want to park on our streets'
Six residents in Nieuw-Vennep are taking legal action against a 2,000-home development project at the Pionier-Bols site due to concerns over insufficient parking. The group argues that the current pla...
At least 100 Afghan guards go to court to force evacuation to the Netherlands
Approximately 100 Afghan guards who worked for the Dutch during the NATO mission are taking legal action against the Netherlands to demand evacuation. The guards fear for their safety under the Taliba...
48 trees cut down in Heemskerk: 'Most are dead'
A permit has been requested to cut down 48 trees at the Maerten van Heemskerckplein in Heemskerk, most of which are reportedly dead. The request has caused confusion among residents because the area i...
Opposition party Ons Beverwijk questions rental agreement between municipality and council candidate Klomp. ‘Conflict of interest?’
The opposition party Ons Beverwijk has raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest regarding a municipal lease for a Ukrainian refugee shelter. The city is paying 9,500 euros per month to e...
Attacks on Tehran, Israel and Gulf States
Israel launched new airstrikes on the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday, reportedly striking a residential area. Local media and rescue workers are currently searching for victims at the site of ...
Nine killed in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon
At least nine people were killed and many others injured during Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. The attacks targeted several areas, including the city of Adloun, the town of Habbo...
Oil prices fall after news of possible US-Iran peace talks
Oil prices on international markets declined on Wednesday morning following reports of potential peace talks between the United States and Iran. The drop reflects market reactions to signs of easing g...
GroenLinks-PvdA Amsterdam also suggests coalition without D66, D66 calls its inclusion ‘logical’
Will the unattractive Appeltjesmarkt near Marnixstraat become a ‘hub’ for transshipping goods from the water?
Democrat wins election in district around Trump's Mar-a-Lago
Democrat Emily Gregory has won a seat in the Florida state legislature, representing the district surrounding Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Gregory defeated the Trump-backed Republican candidate J...
Rubio testifies in trial against good friend
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified for nearly three hours in a corruption trial involving his friend and former congressman David Rivera. Rivera is accused of conducting secret lobbying act...
Cyprus seeks new agreements with UK after drone attack on base
Cyprus is seeking new security agreements with the United Kingdom following a drone attack on a British military base located on the island. President Nikos Christodoulides requested these guarantees ...
FNV wants higher travel allowance and fuel price caps
The Dutch labor union FNV is advocating for a higher tax-free travel allowance and the implementation of maximum prices for gasoline and diesel. These proposals are being put forward ahead of a parlia...
Greenpeace projects ‘Tax oil companies’ war profits’ onto Eye Filmmuseum
Trump reports mysterious Iranian ’gift’ near Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has claimed to have received a "very big gift" from Iran involving the Strait of Hormuz. While he declined to provide specific details, he indicated the matter is related to ...
Jetten expects quick end to 90 billion blockade for Ukraine
Rob Jetten expects Hungary to lift its blockade on a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine by mid-next month. The Hungarian government has been obstructing the aid due to a dispute with Ukraine regarding ...