Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Ban on extracting water from ditches in parts of Brabant due to drought
The Brabantse Delta water board has banned water extraction from streams and ditches in parts of Central and West Brabant due to ongoing drought. This ban, which took effect on Thursday morning across...
Lennert Böhmer wants to be the humanist idealist of CDA Haarlem. 'We must not be an inward-looking club'
Lennert Böhmer, the new group chairman of CDA Haarlem, aims to revitalize the party by making it more outward-looking and dynamic. He is currently involved in negotiations with PRO and D66 to form a ...
Ukrainian military leadership sets time limit on front-line deployment
Ukrainian General Oleksandr Syrsky has ordered a two-month limit on the consecutive deployment of front-line soldiers in the war against Russia. This measure is intended to address welfare concerns fo...
Government abandons wage freeze in new pay offer to civil servants
The Dutch government has issued a new collective labor agreement offer to civil servants, abandoning a controversial wage freeze that led to months of strikes. This updated proposal aims to address un...
Zelensky wants to hear from US what Russia wants with temporary ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking clarification from the United States regarding a Russian proposal for a temporary ceasefire. This follows a conversation between U.S. President Donald...
UK to invest extra £25 million in Jewish community security
The British government has announced an additional 25 million pounds in funding to enhance the security of the Jewish community. This decision follows a recent stabbing incident in London where two Je...
Summit to move away from oil and gas has one key outcome: the summit itself
The first international summit for countries aiming to phase out fossil fuels concluded with a positive atmosphere but without any concrete new plans. Organizers highlighted that the event's most sign...
Belgium wants to take over 7 nuclear reactors from energy company Engie
The Belgian government is negotiating with French company Engie to take full ownership of seven nuclear reactors located in Doel and Tihange. Prime Minister Bart De Wever announced the move, which aim...
Israel takes Gaza flotilla passengers to Israel
Israel has intercepted more than twenty ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Approximately 175 passengers are being transported to Israel, ac...
Karremans: Water will continue to flow for every household
Minister Vincent Karremans assured that drinking water will remain available for all households, even during potential freshwater shortages caused by drought. His statement follows a report from the C...
Mayor of Peel en Maas asks people to stay away from fire
Mayor Bob Vostermans of Peel en Maas has urged residents to stay away from the Heldense Bossen area due to a large ongoing wildfire between Kessel and Helden. He emphasized that the area is currently ...
Air France-KLM fears $2.4 billion in extra fuel costs: The biggest blow is yet to come
Air France-KLM expects to spend an additional $2.4 billion on fuel this year due to the conflict in the Middle East. While the aviation group reported improved results for the first quarter, it warns ...
Australia sees little change after social media ban for children
Australia has observed no significant changes in social media usage among children shortly after implementing a ban on the platforms. Internal government documents indicate that while users briefly ex...
Queen Beatrix and Amsterdam reconciled after riots and conflict
The relationship between Queen Beatrix and the city of Amsterdam was historically characterized by tension and riots. However, a symbolic moment involving a kiss in the Jordaan neighborhood eventually...
Papa Koenders’ fight against the legacy of colonialism: May 4 and 5 portraits
The exhibition 'Op zoek naar Papa Koenders' at the OBA in Amsterdam honors Julius Gustaaf Arnout Koenders, a key figure in the struggle for Surinamese cultural identity and language recognition. Koend...
Daily life slightly more expensive again: Middle East war hits our wallets
Inflation in the Netherlands rose slightly to 2.8 percent in April, up from 2.7 percent in March, according to preliminary data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The increase affects the cost of dail...
What next for the rediscovered Conrad Shipyard? City officials reluctant to preserve building despite historical value
The municipal executive of Haarlem is hesitant to preserve the historic 1897 Werf Conrad administrative building, despite recent discoveries showing it is better preserved and more valuable than previ...
Cameras effective after arson and attacks on first responders: "I can sleep again"
Residents in Amsterdam's Buikslotermeer neighborhood report a decrease in nightly disturbances following the installation of surveillance cameras at Breedveld. The measure was implemented after weeks ...
Number of young people in youth care falls for the first time in years
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the number of young people receiving youth care fell by 2.8% last year to 477,000, marking the first decline since 2015 excluding the 2020 pandemic year. Whi...
CBS: 6,000 first-time asylum applications in the first quarter of 2026
In the first quarter of the year, nearly 6,000 people filed first-time asylum applications in the Netherlands, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). This figure marks a one-third increase compare...
Axios: CENTCOM to brief Trump on military options for Iran
President Donald Trump is scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday from CENTCOM leader Brad Cooper regarding potential military options against Iran. According to sources cited by Axios, the presen...
NVJ: worrying picture behind top press freedom ranking
The Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) reports that despite the high ranking of the Netherlands on the international Press Freedom Index, the national Press Freedom Monitor 2025 reveals a concerni...
Netherlands climbs to second place in bad year for press freedom
The Netherlands has risen to second place on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index, trailing only Norway. Despite this improvement for the Netherlands, RSF reports that global press ...
New Zealand mosque attacker loses appeal
Brenton Tarrant, the perpetrator of the 2019 mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, has lost his appeal against his conviction and life sentence. Tarrant, who killed 51 people during the attac...
Number of over-85s in Haarlem to nearly double — are there enough adapted homes?
The number of households in Haarlem with at least one person aged 85 or older is projected to nearly double from 2,500 to 4,700 by the year 2040. While this aging trend is less severe than in similar ...
Governor of Mexican state Sinaloa charged in US on drug charges
US federal prosecutors in Manhattan have charged Rubén Rocha Moya, the Governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, with conspiring with drug cartels. The indictment also includes nine other current and...
Park Schoonenberg in Velsen-Zuid to expand after removal of football pitches; housing to be built in the park
The removal of football fields at Waterloo in Driehuis will facilitate the construction of 60 new homes and the expansion of Park Schoonenberg in Velsen-Zuid. This project aims to increase housing ava...
Heemskerk adjusts charging plan after many reactions, draft traffic decree now ready
The municipality of Heemskerk has updated its plan for installing additional electric vehicle charging stations after receiving significant public feedback. The draft traffic decision incorporates res...
Controversial Brazilian meat giant settles in the Netherlands as activist groups fight back
Israel intercepts Gaza flotilla off the coast of Crete
Israel has intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, off the coast of the Greek island of Crete. According to reports from the Israeli UN ambassador and fleet ...