Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Construction of 6,500 homes in Hamerkwartier still possible after deal with chemical company Ketjen
The City of Amsterdam has reached an agreement with chemical company Ketjen to proceed with the construction of 6500 homes in the Hamerkwartier district, following a previous legal block over health a...
Haarlem City Council approves Green Singel design
The Haarlem city council has approved the final design for the redevelopment of the Gedempte Oostersingelgracht, also known as the Groene Singel. The project will add over 4,000 square meters of green...
Berlinale proves political rows smolder longer at film festivals without Hollywood stars
The 76th Berlinale film festival faced a notable absence of Hollywood stars, which caused media attention to shift toward a persistent political controversy regarding the Gaza conflict. Tensions were ...
Dick Schoof was mocked and reviled, but still quietly left his mark
After 600 days in office, the premiership of non-partisan Dutch leader Dick Schoof is coming to an end. Despite lacking political allies and facing significant criticism, the former top civil servant ...
What stuck: Alderman Groot Wassink’s swipe at VVD and JA21
Amsterdam Alderman Rutger Groot Wassink criticized the VVD and JA21 parties during a tense city council debate about incidents at the Stek Oost housing complex, dismissing their motion of censure as a...
Housing construction in Hamerkwartier to proceed after deal with Ketjen
The industrial area Hamerkwartier will be transformed into a mixed residential neighborhood following a new agreement with the chemical company Ketjen. This deal enables the commencement of housing co...
Major parking problems in this new neighborhood: 'Barrier is being forced open'
Residents of "The Bridge" residential building in Amsterdam-Zuidoost are facing severe parking shortages because the municipality does not issue street parking permits for new developments in the area...
Traffic fines in Haarlem generate more revenue for state treasury than in 2024
Traffic offenders in Haarlem generated more than 8.3 million euros for the state treasury last year. According to figures from the fine collection agency CJIB, this total represents the revenue collec...
Construction plans for 6,500 homes in Hamerkwartier back on track after chemical plant compromise
Construction of 6,500 homes in Amsterdam's Hamerkwartier district is set to begin next year following a compromise between the municipality and the chemical plant Ketjen. The agreement addresses previ...
Political cooperation between Muslim and Jew leads to widely supported dialogue plan: ‘Investing in peacetime’
Amsterdam city councilors Sheher Khan and Itay Garmy, a Muslim and a Jew from opposing political parties, have received unanimous support for their "Bekend maakt bemind 2.0" plan to foster structural ...
Amsterdam can ban fatbikes in specific areas
The Amsterdam City Council has approved a measure allowing the ban of fatbikes in specific areas where they cause safety issues or public nuisance. A pilot program starting later this year will implem...
Former Prince Andrew released by police but remains suspect in investigation
Former Prince Andrew was released from a Thames Valley police station around 7:00 PM local time following questioning. He remains a suspect in an ongoing investigation into allegations of potential mi...
Who is new State Secretary for Finance Eelco Eerenberg? Humorous policy wonk championed sex work and tens of thousands of homes
Eelco Eerenberg, a 41-year-old D66 alderman from Utrecht, has been named as the new Dutch State Secretary of Finance. He replaces Nathalie van Berkel, who withdrew from the position on Monday followin...
Three local parties want to break through in Amsterdam: can they take on the established order?
Three local parties—De Stem van Amsterdam, Hart voor Amsterdam, and Namens Amsterdammers—are campaigning to challenge the established political order in Amsterdam's upcoming municipal elections. T...
Half-million euro fine for construction companies that bribed Sint Maarten minister
Two subsidiaries of the construction company VolkerWessels were ordered by a court in Zwolle on Thursday to pay a combined fine of €480,000 for bribing former Sint Maarten minister Theo Heyliger. Th...
Rising numbers of people unable to work costing the treasury billions
Rising disability benefit costs are placing a multi-billion euro burden on the state treasury as the number of people unable to work continues to grow. In response to these skyrocketing expenses, the ...
Dutch want to live more sustainably, but government misses opportunities
Most Dutch citizens are willing to adopt more sustainable and climate-conscious lifestyles, which could potentially save megatons of CO2 emissions. However, the government is currently missing opportu...
Government raises 923 million euros from emission rights auction
The Dutch government raised approximately 923 million euros last year through the auction of carbon emission rights. These rights must be purchased by large industrial companies to legally emit CO2, w...
A coffee with Grethe van Geffen (Namens Amsterdammers): "People feel let down"
Grethe van Geffen, leader of the local party Namens Amsterdammers, is campaigning for the municipal elections with proposals to reduce bureaucracy and improve community facilities in areas like IJburg...
Should Zandvoort circuit make way for housing?
The Zandvoort municipal council is debating the possibility of using the local racing circuit for long-term housing development over the next 30 to 40 years. While some political parties support explo...
Fat bike ban to proceed as PvdA and GroenLinks change course
The Amsterdam city council coalition parties GroenLinks and PvdA have decided to support a proposal granting the municipality the authority to ban fatbikes in busy urban areas. While specific location...
Netherlands and Belgium want better train connections: 'Of strategic importance'
The Netherlands and Belgium have agreed to strengthen their cooperation to improve cross-border rail connections between the two countries. This initiative is considered of strategic importance to enh...
Eelco Eerenberg to replace Van Berkel as D66 State Secretary for Finance
The D66 party has nominated Utrecht alderman Eelco Eerenberg as the new State Secretary of Finance. He replaces the previously intended candidate, Van Berkel, who recently stepped down from the positi...
Advisory body SER calls for eight weeks of paid leave for informal caregivers
The Dutch advisory body SER is calling for the government to provide eight weeks of paid leave to help informal caregivers balance their jobs with their caregiving responsibilities. This recommendatio...
Keenan had to keep relationship with Jetten secret: It was noticeable that he sneaked out late at night
Nicolás Keenan, an Argentine professional hockey player and fiancé of Dutch politician Rob Jetten, is profiled as the first openly queer player in the Netherlands' top hockey league. The article hig...
Larger European power grid good for prices but creates dependency
Expanding the European power grid would lower electricity prices for the Netherlands but increase its dependency on other member states, according to a study by the CPB. The report notes that without ...
Tech billionaires (and Dick Schoof) discuss the future of AI at Indian summit
Leaders from major technology companies, including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, are gathering in India to discuss the future and impact of artificial intelligence. Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Dick...
New cabinet cuts benefits: how the plans hit the long-term sick
The new Dutch cabinet’s proposed budget cuts will reduce benefits for fully incapacitated employees by up to 270 euros per month. Additional austerity measures could potentially increase these losse...
U2 lashes out at ICE agents and Iranian regime on first album since 2017
U2 has unexpectedly released a new EP titled *Days of Ash*, marking the band's first release since 2017. The record features guest musician Ed Sheeran and addresses social injustices, specifically cri...
Halsema lashes out at British police over claim about shared information on Maccabi fans
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema has criticized the West Midlands Police for falsely claiming that their decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Aston Villa match was based on intelligence provided...