Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Status holders must be able to start work as soon as possible
The Dutch government aims to integrate asylum seekers and status holders into the workforce as quickly as possible to address labor market shortages. The cabinet has set a goal for 60% of these indivi...
Aartsen wants 75,000 extra asylum seekers in work in coming years
Minister Thierry Aartsen aims to help 75,000 additional asylum seekers and residence permit holders find employment over the next four years. He proposes that those with high chances of staying should...
Lebanese politician: Hezbollah to withdraw if Israel does the same
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stated that Hezbollah is willing to withdraw from southern Lebanon if Israeli forces also leave the area simultaneously. As an ally and intermediary for Hezboll...
Mandatory permits for all tourist businesses in city center
The City of Amsterdam is permanently implementing a permit requirement for tourist shops in the city center to combat criminal activity and screen business owners. The initiative follows a successful ...
Merz says EU must show willingness for enlargement
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the European Union must demonstrate its capability and willingness to expand. He intends to discuss this objective at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Mont...
Van Dissel sometimes 'irritable' about how specific the request for advice was
Jaap van Dissel, the former head of the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), stated that advice requests from the Dutch Ministry of Health were sometimes too specific to answer. He noted that these detaile...
Protest against 'political silence' over Kanye West performance in the Netherlands
Protesters gathered at Dam Square in Amsterdam to demonstrate against the government's refusal to block an upcoming performance by Kanye West in the Netherlands. Despite the rapper's history of antise...
Corona measures were not too late, says Van Dissel
Former RIVM director Jaap van Dissel stated that national COVID-19 measures in 2020 were not implemented too late. He explained that these actions followed logically once it became clear that individu...
NPO: No reconciliation possible between broadcasters and Ongehoord Nederland
NPO sees no way to bring broadcasters and ON! together
The Dutch Public Broadcasting (NPO) has stated it sees no current possibility of reconciling existing member broadcasters with the aspirant broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON!). This decision follows...
Emergency shelter for 100 to 120 asylum seekers at De Tiltenberg in Vogelenzang; COA again considers it a suitable location
The COA has identified the Tiltenberg in Vogelenzang as a suitable location for the emergency housing of 100 to 120 asylum seekers. This assessment follows an initial review shared by the municipality...
Van den Brink: Asylum-refusing municipality must talk to neighbors
Dutch Asylum Minister Bart van den Brink stated that municipalities refusing to host asylum seekers must consult with neighboring towns, emphasizing that reception is a regional responsibility. He not...
Jetten: full EU membership must remain the goal
Dutch politician Rob Jetten stated that full EU membership should remain the primary goal for candidate countries, speaking ahead of a summit with Western Balkan nations in Montenegro. He expressed op...
Halsema’s major city center plans scrapped, but she’s not entirely empty-handed
US Senate approves funding for Trump's immigration policy
The United States Senate has approved approximately $70 billion in funding for the Trump administration's immigration policies. According to reports, the budget will be allocated to agencies such as I...
Van Dissel: COVID testing policy was adjusted earlier in practice
Former RIVM director Jaap van Dissel told a parliamentary inquiry committee that COVID-19 testing policies in the Netherlands were often adjusted in practice before they were officially updated in gui...
Netherlands more polarized than ever? New counter-terrorism chief says it's not that bad
Marc Kuipers has been appointed as the new National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) in the Netherlands. Despite acknowledging that the country faces significant security threats a...
Politics on the Amstel: Is the coalition agreement really that left-wing and what is Esmah Lahlah doing in Amsterdam?
The new coalition agreement between Pro Amsterdam and D66 introduces policies such as increased parking fees and a reduction in civil servants while notably canceling plans for a new erotic center. Th...
Tata Steel must give Donald Pols a second chance after all
The article presents a weekly proposition asking readers whether Tata Steel should offer Donald Pols, the director of Milieudefensie, a second chance. This call for public opinion follows recent tensi...
Commission must preserve Von der Leyen’s texts, says EU Ombudsman
EU Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho has ruled that the European Commission must preserve text messages exchanged between President Ursula von der Leyen and heads of state. The decision follows an investigatio...
Harderwijk gives COA three months to close asylum center before imposing fines
The municipality of Harderwijk has given the asylum agency COA three months to close its 800-person facility or face significant daily fines. If the center remains open past the deadline, COA will be ...
Van Weel: shocking that Motherless employees share child pornography
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel described reports that employees of the porn site Motherless shared child pornography as "shocking." The minister expects the Public Prosecution Service to conduc...
Van Veldhoven: important to go through Moerdijk process carefully
Minister Stientje van Veldhoven emphasized the importance of a careful decision-making process regarding the future of Moerdijk. She noted that the ongoing uncertainty is difficult for the residents l...
'Foreign' sea drone explodes in Romanian port
An unknown military sea drone exploded on Friday morning in the Romanian port of Constanța. The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the incident resulted in no casualties.
Van Dissel wanted to keep OMT away from political considerations
Jaap van Dissel, former chair of the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), stated that the committee aimed to provide strictly medical advice for pandemic containment during the COVID-19 crisis. He emphasiz...
Musical chairs among district administrators in full swing, but why do PRO, D66 and Halsema want to turn them into ‘super-officials’?
Van Dissel: OMT relied on outside information at start of COVID
Jaap van Dissel, head of the Dutch Outbreak Management Team, told a parliamentary inquiry committee that the team relied heavily on external information from sources like the WHO during the early stag...
UK rejects US criticism after Nowak's death
The British government has rejected criticism from the U.S. State Department regarding the death of student Henry Nowak. UK Justice Minister David Lammy denied allegations that the country’s legal s...
Israel orders evacuation of villages north of the Litani
The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of three villages north of the Litani River in Lebanon ahead of planned attacks. Recent strikes on the southern city of Tyre have already resulted in th...
Former RIVM head Van Dissel: 'Images of coffins in the street shaped our initial focus, elderly care came later'
Former RIVM head Jaap van Dissel testified before a parliamentary inquiry committee on Friday regarding his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He addressed past decisions concerning school closu...