Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
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...
British Speaker warned police of Mandelson flight risk
Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the British House of Commons, reportedly warned police that former minister Peter Mandelson planned to flee to the British Virgin Islands prior to his arrest. The tip-off occ...
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...
Iran arrests well-known journalist Elaheh Mohammadi
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
Zelensky calls Trump to discuss further negotiations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Donald Trump via telephone to discuss potential negotiations with Russia. Zelensky stated that preparations for a direct meeting involving himself, Tr...
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...
Suriname President requests departure of 3 state company directors
Surinamese President Jennifer Simons has requested the resignation of three board members from state-owned enterprises following a scandal involving lucrative contracts. The controversy centers on the...
Brazilian politicians convicted of murdering city councilor
The Brazilian Supreme Court has sentenced two former members of parliament to 76 years and three months in prison for ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro council member Marielle Franco. The sen...
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...
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...
Barcelona tourist tax doubles to a maximum of 15 euros per night
Starting in April, Barcelona will double its tourist tax to a maximum of 15 euros per night. The local government intends to use the additional revenue to address housing shortages in the city. Simila...
Artwork in Kostverlorenvaart will not return after years of municipal stalling
February Strike commemoration at Willem Kraan monument: "Paver who stood up for others"
The 1941 February Strike was commemorated in Amsterdam at the monument for resistance hero Willem Kraan in the Nieuw-West district. Kraan, a pavior and strike co-initiator, is honored for his role in ...
Emotional man commemorates February Strike every year: Promised to those who lived through it
Hundreds of people gathered in Amsterdam to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the 1941 February Strike, a massive protest against Nazi raids and the arrest of Jewish residents. Attendees, including ...
Quarter of children and young people not attending school have mental health issues
The number of students staying home from school in Amsterdam increased last year, with 821 registered cases often linked to psychological issues like anxiety and depression. Alderman Mbarki highlighte...
Number of Amsterdam children missing school long-term rose again last year
Is the state pension age increase off the table? Here is the situation
A majority in the Dutch House of Representatives supports a plan to soften the proposed accelerated increase of the state pension age (AOW). This development provides significant relief for the new ca...
State pension plan to be 'softened': coalition backs SGP and Markuszower Group proposal
Dutch coalition parties have agreed to soften proposed changes to the AOW state pension after supporting a motion from the SGP and Groep Markuszower. The exact details of how the plan will be modified...
Zelensky expects direct talks with Russia and US in early March
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects direct negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States to resume in early March. While previous rounds of talks were held in Abu Dhabi and Ge...
Why more and more children are not going to school and how we are tackling it
The number of children not attending school rose to 821 during the last academic year. Authorities have investigated the causes for this increase and are now implementing measures to address the issue...
Vondelpark now also a nuisance area after significant increase in incidents
Amsterdam has expanded its designated nuisance and dealer enforcement zone to include Vondelpark and surrounding streets following a rise in incidents involving intimidation and drug trafficking. This...
Russian embassy: Jetten makes misstep with support for Ukraine
The Russian embassy in the Netherlands has criticized the Jetten cabinet for issuing a statement of support for Ukraine instead of resuming dialogue with Russia. In a social media post, the embassy st...
Opposition parties seek room with D66, receive no promises
During a debate on the government's policy statement, opposition parties questioned D66 leader Jan Paternotte about potentially adjusting coalition plans. While Paternotte expressed a willingness to r...
Paternotte on poverty due to coalition plans: We don't want that
D66 leader Jan Paternotte has urged the Dutch cabinet to take action to reduce poverty following reports that the new coalition's plans could increase poverty rates. Projections show the poverty level...
Help for seniors with moving
The City of Haarlem has reintroduced a moving expense allowance of €1,250 for seniors aged 65 and older who transition from multi-story rental homes to more accessible housing. This initiative, part...
Election liveblog: which debates are coming up?
Amsterdam is preparing for municipal elections on March 18 with a series of debates scheduled to address topics such as housing, transportation, and the local economy. Current polling indicates a clos...
Elections: slightly fewer candidates in Haarlem than four years ago
On March 18, 365 candidates will compete for 39 seats in the Haarlem municipal council. This figure represents a slight decrease compared to the previous election four years ago, when 383 candidates w...