rssMar 17, 2026, 17:00

Municipality aims to downsize civil service with new 'top structure'

Mayor Femke Halsema and Alderman Hester van Buren have announced a restructuring of Amsterdam's municipal organization from five to seven clusters to streamline decision-making. The plan aims to reduce the complexity of the city's 22,000-person civil service and address issues like 'administrative obesity' and high absenteeism. This reform is intended to make the administration more efficient and responsive to the city's modern urban challenges.

Politics Amsterdam Netherlands

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Ambitious group of countries meet in Colombia: is the world phasing out fossil fuels?

More than fifty countries are meeting in Colombia this week to discuss transitioning away from fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas. This "coalition of the willing" aims to reach ambitious climate agreements during a period of increasing global support for environmental action.

Doctors train with special forces to stay calm in stressful situations: ‘Want more control’

Dutch healthcare professionals are participating in training programs based on military special forces principles to better manage high workloads and workplace stress. The initiative aims to provide doctors with the psychological tools necessary to maintain control and handle aggression, skills often overlooked in traditional medical education.

Everything related to measuring and weighing in the historic Scales Museum building

The Weegschaalmuseum in Naarden is highlighted as a unique, volunteer-run museum dedicated to the history of weighing and measuring. The article is part of a series showcasing lesser-known cultural gems with limited opening hours.

This is what the new villa on the site of ‘De Echo’ in Heemstede might soon look like

The municipality of Heemstede has issued a building permit for a new villa on Van Merlenlaan, revealing the potential design for the site. This comes nearly a year after the demolition of 'De Echo', a historic wooden house that previously occupied the location.

Haarlem opposition shows reluctance at coalition agreement input session: 'We are being taken for a ride'

Ten opposition parties in Haarlem expressed skepticism and reluctance during an input session organized by the forming coalition parties PRO, D66, and CDA. Opposition members felt the process was insincere and refused to provide detailed plans, stating they did not want to be taken advantage of.