Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Pakistani PM travels abroad amid peace talk speculation
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is beginning a four-day diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. The trip follows speculation that Pakistan will host peace negotiations between Ira...
NCAB: Antisemitism figures show a worrying picture once again
The Dutch National Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism reported that police registered 867 antisemitic incidents in 2025, a figure nearly identical to the previous year's 880 cases. Eddo Verdoner d...
More discrimination reports last year, many involving Wilders
Reports of discrimination in the Netherlands increased last year, with many complaints linked to a social media post by PVV leader Geert Wilders. A study detailing these findings was presented to Inte...
Epe maintains penalty for COA over asylum reception
The municipality of Epe has finalized a daily penalty payment of ‣63,480 against the COA for failing to close an emergency asylum shelter in a local hotel on time. The COA has been given one additio...
Inspectorate: School leaders too busy to do their jobs properly
The Dutch Inspectorate of Education's annual report states that school leaders are currently too overburdened with tasks to effectively perform their roles. This workload prevents them from addressing...
60 municipal notices on demolition and tree felling in Haarlem last week
In the past week, the municipality of Haarlem processed 60 permit applications related to demolition and tree removal. Local residents are encouraged to check the list of applications to see how these...
Inspectorate sounds alarm: literacy and numeracy levels in secondary schools continue to decline
The Dutch Education Inspectorate reports a continuing decline in language and math proficiency among secondary school students. Conversely, primary school performance has stabilized and returned to le...
UK to send another 120,000 drones to Ukraine this year
The United Kingdom has announced it will supply at least 120,000 additional drones to Ukraine this year to assist in defending against Russian forces. British Defense Minister John Healey urged intern...
Pleached lime trees in Zijlstraat saved at the last minute: property owner postpones removal until further notice
Three linden trees in Haarlem's Zijlstraat will remain for now after property owner Frank van Kordelaar postponed their planned removal. He has decided to wait for the outcome of an appeal process bef...
Public heating company closer through partnership with Diemen, significant funding still needed
Amsterdam, Alliander, and EBN have reached new agreements to establish a public heat company, with the municipality of Diemen joining the initiative to improve financial viability. The project aims to...
Frankfurt Airport sees decline in passenger numbers to Middle East
Frankfurt Airport has experienced a significant decline in passenger numbers traveling to the Middle East over the past month. This decrease is attributed to the ongoing conflict between Iran and the ...
Highway traffic flow improves, but pressure on road network grows
Traffic volume on Dutch highways has returned to pre-pandemic levels, though flow improved in 2025 thanks to road expansions. However, Rijkswaterstaat notes that aging infrastructure like bridges and ...
UN watchdog sees increase in North Korea nuclear activity
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warns that North Korea is significantly expanding its nuclear weapon production capacity. He noted a rapid increase in activities at a reactor used for uranium ...
Netherlands and Germany intensify crackdown on heavy fireworks
The Netherlands and Germany are intensifying their cooperation to combat the distribution and use of heavy illegal fireworks. Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten met with German officials in Düsseldorf o...
The Dutch royals were lucky at the White House dinner: Melania was there
Magyar wants to curb Hungarian state media
Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar has announced his government's intention to suspend state media broadcasts to address the spread of government propaganda. Magyar stated that the outlets caused...
Iranian released by France returns home
Iranian citizen Mahdieh Esfandiari has returned to Iran following her release from a French prison. The development occurs one week after Iran released two French citizens from its own custody.
Refugees must be self-reliant: shuttle service to asylum boat discontinued
The COA is discontinuing the shuttle bus service for 1,500 residents of an asylum ship in Amsterdam, citing a goal of increasing self-reliance among residents. The decision has drawn criticism from bo...
Fake invitations for asylum seeker center meetings distributed in Heemskerk; authorities frustrated after planning extra session
Fake invitations for upcoming asylum seeker center meetings on April 20 were distributed in Heemskerk, falsely claiming that registration is not required. The municipality has clarified that registrat...
Velsertunnel slip roads closed during Wijkertunnel closure, Velsen fears four weeks of major traffic disruption
The closure of the Wijkertunnel for major maintenance is expected to cause significant traffic disruption for four weeks, impacting Haarlem and surrounding areas. During this period, Rijkswaterstaat w...
WSJ: US intercepted 8 Iran-linked tankers since blockade
US naval units have intercepted eight oil tankers linked to Iran since the start of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to The Wall Street Journal, these interceptions occurred as the vess...
Ten countries call for an end to hostilities in Lebanon
Ten countries, including Canada, Great Britain, and Japan, have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to hostilities in Lebanon. The nations expressed grave concern over the deteriorat...
Sanctioned tanker unable to pass US blockade in Strait of Hormuz
The U.S.-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry returned to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after failing to bypass a U.S. blockade. Shipping data shows the vessel was forced to turn back as part of enforcem...
US military kills four in attack on suspected drug boat
The U.S. military killed four men during an operation against a suspected drug smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean. According to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the fatalities occurred dur...
More trouble in benefits scandal settlement: now freelancers hit
Around 650 self-employed workers who assisted with the Dutch childcare benefit scandal face tax penalties of up to 10,000 euros after being classified as "bogus self-employed." The Dutch cabinet has w...
Children's book veteran Selma Noort liked the idea of a fairy tale about a kind of Donald Trump
US visit of royal couple: new water cooperation program
During their visit to Miami in the United States, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima launched the Water as Leverage Academy, a new cooperation program. The initiative aims to foster international...
Right-wing Peruvian candidate López demands vote annulment
Right-wing Peruvian presidential candidate Rafael López Aliaga has called for the annulment of the first round of national elections. He alleged that fraud occurred during the process, though he prov...
Vance: Mistrust between US and Iran cannot be easily overcome
U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that the deep-seated mistrust between Washington and Tehran cannot be resolved overnight. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event, Vance emphasized the complexity of ...
Eight-year-old boy killed in Russian drone attack in Ukraine
An eight-year-old boy was killed and 14 others were injured during a Russian drone attack on the central Ukrainian city of Cherkasy. Governor Ihor Taburets reported that the strike also caused signifi...