Politics News in English

Haarlem opts for low-key New Year's Eve: no light show or fireworks from municipality or associations

Mayor Jos Wienen of Haarlem has announced that the city will have an understated New Year's Eve celebration for 2027. The municipality will not organize any fireworks or light shows, and local associa...

Parliament complains about infrastructure shortages, disagrees on solution

Political parties in the Dutch House of Representatives agree that additional funding is necessary for national infrastructure, yet they remain divided on where the money should come from. During a re...

Senate majority positive about housing control law

A majority of the Dutch Senate is in favor of a new law that provides the national government with more control over housing construction. During a debate on Tuesday, a coalition of parties including ...

Iranian president: Tehran will never negotiate on defense

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that the country's missile program is not included in any preliminary agreements with the United States. He emphasized that Tehran will never negotiate its...

De Jonge: FVD member is an exception in Provincial Council for expense claims

Martin Bos, an FVD member of the Zeeland Provincial Council, reportedly charged 117 dinners to taxpayer funds over a two-year period. Hugo de Jonge, the King's Commissioner, stated that this excessive...

Barn nitrogen emissions 9 percent lower due to buyout scheme

According to the Netherlands Court of Audit, buyout schemes for farmers have led to a 9 percent reduction in nitrogen emissions from stables over the last six years. While successive agriculture minis...

Are young people tough enough if the pressure of the 5.5 rule disappears? LAKS hands petition to Parliament. ‘This generation is being pampered too much’

The Dutch student organization LAKS has presented a petition with 38,000 signatures to the House of Representatives calling for the removal of the mandatory 5.5 average grade for final exams. The orga...

Waiting times for disability benefits continue to rise

The waiting list for disability benefit assessments in the Netherlands has increased, with over 11,000 people waiting longer than six months by the end of 2025. This is a significant rise compared to ...

Province takes Noorder IJplas wind turbine case to Council of State

Haarlem Court of Audit orders investigation into rat nuisance; ‘effective and structural approach’ potentially at stake

The Haarlem Audit Office has launched an investigation into the city's management of rat infestations to determine if current control efforts are effective. The probe focuses on whether unclear divisi...

Dutch prosecutors demand life sentence for Rwanda genocide suspect

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has demanded a life sentence for 66-year-old Eugène N. for his alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. N. is accused of participating in the massacre of...

Denmark joins Hormuz coalition

Denmark has officially joined the maritime security coalition in the Strait of Hormuz established by France and the United Kingdom. Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus announced that the Danish contribution ...

De Jonge hopes lessons will be learned from COVID crisis response

Former Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge is scheduled to testify before the parliamentary inquiry committee on July 10 and September 3 regarding the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. D...

Alderman Hendrik Jan Biemond (Finance) presents €6.9 million bill for Afis just before debate

A pedestrian boulevard on Damrak without cars? Readers react: ‘This will become a tourist carnival’

Broke. And the month isn't over yet. What now? Get free money!

A new report from Nibud highlights that an increasing number of Dutch households are facing financial difficulties. The institute is calling for political action on affordable housing and healthcare w...

A women's quota only polishes the statistics here

The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is implementing a women's quota to increase the percentage of female students in its Aerospace Engineering faculty from 17% to 30%. While critics argue su...

Hardenberg imposes new fine as asylum center remains open

The municipality of Hardenberg has increased the daily fine for the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) to 64,000 euros because an asylum center remains open against orders. The p...

Tehran residents given days off for Khamenei's funeral

Iranian authorities have granted residents of Tehran three days off for the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei, who ruled Iran for 37 years, was killed in an American-Israeli attack in late F...

ASVA student union office vandalized: windows smashed and wall urinated on

Noordwijk party organizes meeting on asylum center at De Tiltenberg: 'We sense concern and want to take action'

The local party NZLokaal is hosting an open meeting on June 24 to address community concerns regarding a proposed asylum seekers' center at De Tiltenberg. The municipality of Bloemendaal plans to use ...

How Haarlem became the scene of a foiled assassination attempt on an Iranian activist

Prosecutors detailed a foiled plot to assassinate Iranian activist Siamak Tahmasbi at his home in Haarlem, allegedly orchestrated by fugitive Sami B. through an international hit team. Intercepted mes...

Water boards: extra water supply and dike inspections due to drought

Dutch water boards are implementing extra water supply and dike inspections in response to extreme heat and drought conditions. These measures aim to prevent salinization in western regions and identi...

Ministry knew reliable family reunification figures were missing before cabinet collapse

The Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security was aware that reliable data on 'family-on-family' reunification was missing before the Rutte IV cabinet fell in July 2023. Despite this, former Minister YeÅ...

19 extra parking spaces enough for 65 new homes in Heemskerk, council says; parking pressure within guidelines

The Heemskerk municipality has approved the addition of 19 parking spaces for a new project involving 65 flex homes on Huibert Pootstraat. Despite concerns from local residents regarding potential par...

Artin Music & Friends cancelled in March due to US intervention now goes ahead: ‘Football and music bridge political differences’

Iranian musician Asghar Barani will host the 'Artin Muziek & Friends' concert at the Patronaat venue this Thursday after a previous cancellation in March. The event aims to bridge political divides th...

Dutchman elected Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Dutch diplomat Tanja Gonggrijp has been elected as the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. She won the position with 135 votes, defeating Finnish candidate Marja Ruotanen-Bourdages.

Dutch official joins EU-Taliban talks

A Dutch official is participating in technical-level talks between the European Commission and the Taliban in Brussels. The discussions focus on the repatriation of rejected Afghan asylum seekers foll...

Trump: Iran did agree to nuclear program inspections

Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Iran has agreed to inspections of its nuclear program, echoing earlier statements by Vice President JD Vance. However, Iranian officials have denied tha...

UN experts: attacks on children in Gaza point to genocide

A committee of UN experts states that Israel has intentionally targeted children in Gaza, committing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Their latest report identifies these attacks on ...