Politics News in English

Health ministers want to consult sector before making decisions

Dutch health ministers Sophie Hermans and Mirjam Sterk intend to consult with the healthcare sector before finalizing decisions on budget cuts. Minister Hermans expressed hope that these discussions w...

Venezuela demands immediate release of Maduro at UN

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil demanded the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro during a session at the United Nations. Maduro was reportedly captured by U.S. forces earlier this yea...

Coffee with William Clairbois (Party for Development): "We started as cavemen"

William Clairbois, the leader of the Partij voor Ontwikkeling, is seeking a seat in the Amsterdam city council with a platform focused on human progress and self-development. His party proposes polici...

Tofik Dibi, lead candidate for Bij1: ‘I was the ‘brave Moroccan gay man’ until I spoke out about Gaza’

Prison sentence for calling for citizen border controls

A police judge in Assen sentenced 54-year-old activist Jan H. to six weeks in prison for inciting citizens to perform illegal border controls. The court ruled that the defendant's actions were unlawfu...

Prosecutors seek prison sentence for calling for citizen border controls

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has demanded a 45-day prison sentence against a 54-year-old activist for inciting citizens to perform their own border controls via Facebook. Prosecutors also requ...

Schoof hands over chairmanship of the Council of Ministers to Jetten

Former Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has symbolically handed over the chairmanship of the Council of Ministers to his successor, Rob Jetten. The transition occurred at the ministry following the of...

Australian PM backs removing Prince Andrew from line of succession

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed support for removing Prince Andrew from the British line of succession. Albanese communicated this stance in a formal letter sent to UK Prime M...

Brussels: Hungary must honor EU loan deal for Kyiv

The European Commission has called on Hungary to honor the EU's agreement to provide a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. All EU leaders, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, had previously...

Petrol and diesel most expensive since autumn 2023 due to global unrest

Fuel prices for petrol and diesel have reached their highest levels since autumn 2023. The price hike is driven by a combination of domestic excise duty increases and instability in the global market.

Glimmer of hope for dilapidated clock tower: ‘Maybe it can become a psychiatry memorial’

Heritage enthusiasts Frank Verveld and Bert Oosterop met with Alderman Thessa van der Windt to discuss the preservation of the dilapidated Meerenberg II clock tower in Bloemendaal. There is renewed ho...

International Criminal Court investigates evidence for Duterte prosecution

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has begun hearings to determine if there is sufficient evidence to prosecute former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte is not attending the pro...

Von der Leyen congratulates Jetten on premiership

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Rob Jetten on his appointment as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. She expressed her commitment to collaborating on economic and s...

Haarlem municipality puzzled: Professor Eijkmanlaan is safer, but residents don't feel that way

A study by the municipality of Haarlem found that traffic safety on the redesigned Professor Eijkmanlaan has improved with lower speeds and reduced volume. Despite these findings, local residents rema...

Once a ratings powerhouse and savior, she can now barely keep her eyes open from exhaustion

Columnist Angela de Jong reflects on the visible exhaustion of Caroline van der Plas, the leader of the Dutch BBB party. The commentary notes that while Van der Plas was once a highly popular figure, ...

Live Q&A: Ask your questions about the new cabinet's plans on Tuesday

The new Dutch cabinet has announced significant policy changes affecting healthcare, social security benefits, and a new defense contribution. A live Q&A session will be held this Tuesday to answer qu...

Andrew had massages and travel paid for by Britons

Former British Prince Andrew reportedly charged taxpayers for personal massages and expensive travel during his tenure as a trade envoy. These allegations were reported by the BBC based on testimonies...

Figures on violence against enforcement officers were incorrect, baton trial had flawed basis

The Amsterdam municipality has admitted that data regarding violence against city wardens was significantly overestimated due to a reporting error that misclassified non-applicable incidents as physic...

Twelve ministers opt for oath and twelve for affirmation at Jetten cabinet swearing-in; protest at official photo op

Twelve members of the new Jetten cabinet chose to take a religious oath, while the other twelve opted for a secular promise during their official swearing-in ceremony. The ceremony took place in the p...

Steven Jonker (D66) calls for attention to middle-income Haarlem residents: ‘But we don’t want a lurch to the right’

Steven Jonker, the D66 lead candidate for Haarlem, is campaigning for the upcoming local elections with a focus on supporting middle-income residents. He aims to improve city governance while maintain...

XR protest at Huis ten Bosch gates during cabinet swearing-in

On Monday, dozens of Extinction Rebellion climate activists protested outside Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague during the swearing-in of the new Dutch cabinet. The demonstrators sat at the palace ga...

Penalty payments for overcrowded Ter Apel rise to over 4 million euros

The registration center in Ter Apel exceeded its capacity limit again over the weekend, housing more asylum seekers than permitted. As a result, the total fine incurred by the Dutch reception organiza...

All ministers and state secretaries of the Jetten cabinet sworn in

All members of the new cabinet led by Prime Minister Rob Jetten, consisting of eighteen ministers and ten state secretaries, have been officially sworn in by King Willem-Alexander. While returning min...

Belgian ambassador to the US lashes out at minister

US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White criticized Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke in a social media post that has since been deleted. The conflict arose after Vandenbroucke supported party le...

King and Jetten sign resignation of Schoof cabinet

King Willem-Alexander signed royal decrees on Monday to officially grant dismissal to the members of the Schoof cabinet. Prime Minister Rob Jetten also signed the documents to confirm ministerial resp...

Live import tariffs | Investors uncertain over Trump response

This live blog provides updates on the developments regarding American import duties and the resulting uncertainty among investors following reactions from Donald Trump. It aims to track the ongoing i...

Wormerland considers merger with Purmerend or Zaanstad

The Wormerland executive board has advised the municipal council to consider a merger with either Purmerend or Zaanstad. This recommendation is driven by the financial vulnerability the municipality f...

Haarlem takes steps towards natural gas-free living

Haarlem has established the Heat Program 2026–2030 as part of its phased plan to transition to natural gas-free living. Preparations in the first designated neighborhoods are scheduled to begin duri...

Jetten arrives at Huis ten Bosch Palace for swearing-in

Rob Jetten has arrived at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague to be officially sworn in as the first D66 Prime Minister by King Willem-Alexander. He is accompanied by the members of his new cabinet, wh...

First train enforcement officers train with batons: 'Someone threatened to pull a knife and stab me'

Dutch railway enforcement officers have begun training with batons as part of a pilot program to address rising aggression against train staff. The initiative follows reports that NS employees face vi...