Politics News in English

Putin says he is ready to compromise if Kyiv does the same

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during an economic summit in Saint Petersburg that Russia is prepared to make compromises in peace negotiations with Ukraine if Kyiv is also willing to do so.

Amsterdam awards IT services contract to KPN to reduce reliance on non-European tech firms

Parliament wants to know what government is doing against foreign influence

The Dutch House of Representatives is calling on the cabinet to outline measures against foreign influence on social media. A broad majority of parties supports taking more action to reduce the impact...

Amsterdam grants De Ceuvel creative hub an extra year, until early 2028

At least ten killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza

Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Thursday killed at least ten people, including five members of a single family. Medical workers reported that only a young girl from that family survived the at...

Swiss deploy 4,000 troops during G7 summit in France

Switzerland is deploying 4,000 soldiers to provide security for the G7 summit held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17. The deployment is prompted by the town's close proximity to the Swis...

Milieudefensie management 'blindsided' by Donald Pols' past, supervisory board resigns

The supervisory board of Milieudefensie has resigned immediately following controversy surrounding the past of former director Donald Pols. While the board was aware of Pols' history, the rest of the ...

Milieudefensie supervisory board resigns over controversy surrounding former director Donald Pols' past

The entire supervisory board of Milieudefensie has resigned following controversy regarding the far-right past of former director Donald Pols. The board members had been aware of Pols's involvement in...

Milieudefensie supervisory board resigns over former director's past

The entire supervisory board of the environmental organization Milieudefensie has resigned due to internal unrest and a loss of trust. The board members had known since 2015 about former director Dona...

Cabinet refuses to yield to incensed opposition: WW and WIA plans remain intact

The Dutch cabinet has refused to scrap proposed changes to unemployment (WW) and disability (WIA) benefits despite pressure from the opposition. The government maintains its right to reform social sec...

Bijenkorf garage owner 'open to dialogue' on closure and housing plans

Q-Park, the owner of the Bijenkorf garage in Amsterdam, has expressed openness to discussing a proposal in the new local coalition agreement to replace the parking facility with housing. Although the ...

Bijenkorf garage owner 'open to dialogue' on closure and housing development

The new coalition agreement in Amsterdam includes a proposal to close the Bijenkorf parking garage in the city center and replace it with residential housing. Q-Park, the owner of the facility, stated...

Wijk aan Zee rescue brigade to get new station next beach season: 'This will help us do our work even better'

The Wijk aan Zee rescue brigade will receive a new permanent facility next beach season following the destruction of their previous post by Storm Poly in 2023. Commissioned by the municipality of Beve...

Netherlands also wants to ban Russian tourists from EU

The Netherlands has joined Sweden's request to ban Russian tourists from entering the European Union. Minister of Migration Bart van den Brink expressed support for the measure during a meeting in Lux...

Thirty permit holders to move into Haarlem hotel early to relieve pressure on Ter Apel. Wienen: 'History repeats itself'

Thirty status holders entitled to housing in Haarlem will be temporarily accommodated in a local hotel to help alleviate overcrowding at the Ter Apel reception center. The Central Agency for the Recep...

Van den Brink: biggest challenge is preventing migrant arrivals

Dutch Migration Minister Bart van den Brink stated that the primary challenge for migration control is implementing measures outside Europe to prevent people from traveling to the EU. Speaking at an E...

VVD receives concession for supporting development aid: terrorism bill submitted after all

The VVD political party has reached an agreement with the Dutch cabinet to support the development aid budget in exchange for the submission of a law against the glorification of terrorism. This polit...

How Bolle Jos must have chuckled at our Justice Minister

'Beach bus' from Haarlemmermeer to Bloemendaal and Zandvoort meant to spread crowds, but Vijfhuizen fears more traffic

The province of Noord-Holland is launching a free 'Strandbus' pilot program between June 20 and August 30 to reduce coastal traffic from Haarlemmermeer and Haarlem to Bloemendaal and Zandvoort. While ...

Borneokade houseboat residents and municipality settle: swimming jetty to be shortened

Houseboat residents at the Borneokade in Amsterdam have reached a settlement with the municipality to shorten a popular swimming pier to mitigate noise and overcrowding. Under the agreement, the city ...

Cabinet not considering alternative to state pension plan, says Vijlbrief

Minister of Social Affairs Hans Vijlbrief announced that the Dutch cabinet will not seek an alternative to the scrapped plan for a faster increase in the state pension age (AOW). The decision follows ...

Halsema wants permanent batons for enforcement officers in central Amsterdam after positive trial evaluation

Hezbollah rejects ceasefire with Israel

Hezbollah has officially rejected a ceasefire proposal with Israel, according to reports from AFP citing internal sources. The militant group communicated this decision to the Lebanese government, sig...

Protesters storm Brussels parliament

Protesters against budget cuts in French-speaking education entered the Parliament of the French Community in Brussels on Thursday afternoon. The demonstrators set off smoke bombs, triggering fire ala...

Parties want clarification on Sjoerdsma's 'shadow deal'

Opposition parties are seeking clarification on an alleged "shadow deal" involving a 380 million euro increase in the development cooperation budget for Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma. In exchange for the ...

Only a miracle can save Haarlem's combined rail maintenance. 'Destruction of capital'

The Dutch House of Representatives has accepted a 50 million euro loss and extended passenger disruptions due to stalled rail maintenance in Haarlem. Despite criticism regarding the waste of public fu...

Jetten: first social security deal, then talk about money

Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced that the Dutch cabinet will only consider adjusting financial coalition agreements after reaching a substantive deal on social security with labor unions and the op...

Even without Hungarian blockade, Ukrainian EU membership is still far off

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced a deal on Wednesday to end his country's blockade of Ukraine's EU accession process. Despite this breakthrough, the article notes that Ukraine's actual...

Sources: UK and France finalizing plans to demine Hormuz

The United Kingdom and France have finalized plans for a naval mission to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz following potential agreements between the US and Iran. An international coalition is pr...

Hezbollah: Israel not safe as long as Lebanon is under attack

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem warned that northern Israel will remain unsafe as long as Lebanese villages are targeted by Israeli bombings. He called for a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of Isra...