Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
GL-PvdA had the wind in its sails, then came the blow: the election's biggest loser
Despite recent polls positioning GroenLinks-PvdA as the largest party in the Netherlands, the coalition suffered a significant blow in the municipal elections. Party members had entered the campaign w...
What happens to your vote after the municipal elections?
Following the municipal elections held on March 18 in the Netherlands, this article explains the process of how votes are translated into seats within a new city council. It aims to clarify who repres...
Ouwehand: Do not stay silent about the rise of far-right parties
Esther Ouwehand, leader of the Party for the Animals, has stated that her party will not remain silent regarding the rise of far-right and radical-right parties following the Dutch municipal elections...
Starmer condemns Iranian attack on Qatar gas facility
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly condemned an Iranian attack on a gas facility in Qatar that occurred on Wednesday night. QatarEnergy reported significant damage and multiple fires at ...
Parties must remove campaign signs within a week
Political parties in several Dutch municipalities, including Rotterdam, Tilburg, and Utrecht, are required to remove their own campaign boards within one week. This requirement was confirmed following...
Prosecutors demand prison and community service for man for incitement and threatening journalists
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has demanded a ten-month prison sentence, including seven months suspended, and 120 hours of community service against a man for threatening journalists Chris Klom...
Airlines warn ticket prices will rise due to Iran war
Major European airlines warn that flight ticket prices will increase as jet fuel costs rise due to the conflict in the Middle East. Travelers can expect higher fares as a direct result of these increa...
US Defense Secretary: we will finish the war in Iran
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the United States will continue military operations in Iran until all objectives are met. Hegseth stated that the U.S. plans to conduct its largest n...
Mediators try to save new European fighter jet
France and Germany have appointed mediators to resolve a dispute between manufacturers and save their joint project for a new European fighter jet. The mediators have been given one month to reach an ...
LIVE 2026 Municipal Elections | Extinction Rebellion responds to Hart voor Den Haag threats, losses for GroenLinks-PvdA, SP and CU
Hart voor Den Haag has threatened a harsh crackdown on Extinction Rebellion protesters using riot police and water cannons following the 2026 municipal elections. The climate activist group stated the...
XR to continue protesting despite De Mos ‘threats’
Extinction Rebellion has stated it will continue to protest in The Hague even if Richard de Mos joins the city government. The activist group maintains that threats from local political parties will n...
Community officer, baby advocate and right-wing hardliner lose seats in Haarlem: Seven councilors forced out
Following the municipal elections in Haarlem, seven council members have lost their seats because they were ranked too low on their party lists to secure re-election. The departing politicians include...
Local parties grow, losses for GroenLinks-PvdA, SP and CU
Local parties achieved record success in the Dutch municipal elections, winning 3,391 seats and capturing 34 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, national parties such as GroenLinks-PvdA saw a significant ...
LIVE 2026 Municipal Elections | Local parties grow, losses for GroenLinks-PvdA, SP and CU
Local parties achieved a record result in the 2026 Dutch municipal elections, securing 3,391 seats and approximately 34 percent of the total vote. Among national parties, GroenLinks-PvdA experienced t...
Danish media: Soldiers in Greenland prepared for US invasion
Danish media reports that Denmark secretly prepared to repel a potential U.S. invasion of Greenland in January. While publicly framed as a military exercise, insiders claim the operation was actually ...
Paternotte sees election result as a boost for the coalition
D66 parliamentary leader Jan Paternotte described the municipal election results as a boost for the national governing coalition. While the CDA lost 19 seats, the D66 and VVD saw significant gains, al...
Willem-Alexander and Máxima to stay overnight at White House during US working visit
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are visiting the United States for a meeting with President Donald Trump. During their working visit, the royal couple will dine and stay ove...
Chancellor welcomes Trump signals on Iran peace
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has welcomed signals from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting a possible end to hostilities with Iran. Merz also noted that such a development could provide an oppo...
Will FVD solve IJmuiden's problems? IJmuiden local Huib Stam critical of election victory
Huib Stam, a resident of IJmuiden, has written an opinion piece expressing criticism and skepticism following the election victory of the Forum for Democracy (FVD) party. He questions whether the part...
Ferry passengers react to election results: from "I'm proud of the city" to "it sucks"
GroenLinks has emerged as the largest party in Amsterdam's local elections, followed by D66 and PvdA. Commuters at Amsterdam Central Station shared mixed reactions to the results, ranging from satisfa...
Ferry passengers react to election results: from "I'm proud of the city" to "it sucks"
GroenLinks has emerged as the largest party in Amsterdam's municipal elections, followed by D66 and PvdA. Residents interviewed on the city's ferries expressed mixed reactions to the results, ranging ...
European Parliament takes step toward approving US trade deal
The European Parliament's trade committee has approved a portion of a trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. This decision brings the overall trade deal one step closer to f...
Heart for The Hague campaign manager: Campaigned for four years
Hart voor Den Haag's growth from nine to 16 seats is attributed by campaign leader Coen Bom to the party's consistent presence in local neighborhoods over the last four years. Bom also suggested that ...
BBB elected to 19 councils, party ran in 29 municipalities
The BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) secured seats in 19 of the 29 municipalities where it participated in local elections. Preliminary results indicate the party gained three seats each in Waadhoeke, Venray,...
LIVE 2026 Municipal Elections | BBB elected in 19 councils, party ran in 29 municipalities
The BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) party secured seats in 19 of the 29 municipalities where it contested in the local elections. According to preliminary results, the party gained three seats in several mun...
Euphoria at VVD and Forum for Democracy in Haarlemmermeer, FVD lead candidate: 'Showed the most growth'
The VVD and Forum for Democracy celebrated strong results in the Haarlemmermeer municipal elections, with the VVD maintaining its position as the largest party with eight seats. GroenLinks-PvdA and D6...
A political star is born in Waalwijk and other notable national election results
Recent municipal election results in the Netherlands show a trend of young male candidates finding success by campaigning on housing issues. Early analyses of the votes indicate that these specific po...
BVNL disappears from Haarlem: a look back at four years of Haarlem harassment politics. 'Freeloaders in your backyard'
The political party BVNL is exiting the Haarlem local government after four years of provocative politics aimed at green parties and Mayor Jos Wienen. The party failed to secure any seats in the recen...
More blank votes in Moerdijk municipality
The municipality of Moerdijk recorded an increase in blank votes during the recent elections, rising from 0.2 percent in 2022 to 0.5 percent this year. A total of 87 blank ballots were cast compared t...
Fundraising for US weapons for Ukraine behind schedule
European allies are falling behind schedule in raising funds for the PURL procurement program, which is designed to purchase essential American weapons for Ukraine. The initiative has currently failed...