Netherlands News in English

Amsterdam lead candidates head to the polls: "I have a parent-teacher meeting at my child's school in a bit"

Political party leaders in Amsterdam, including Mayor Femke Halsema, cast their ballots at various polling stations across the city during the local elections. By early afternoon, voter turnout was re...

No nail-biting for national politicians tonight, even if they are facing losses

National politicians in the Netherlands no longer view municipal election results as a high-stakes indicator of their party's national performance. While local victories are welcomed, national parties...

Syria returnee arrested at Schiphol

A 31-year-old woman who traveled to Syria in 2014 was arrested at Schiphol Airport immediately upon her return to the Netherlands. The Public Prosecution Service suspects her of participation in a ter...

Turnout hovers around 20 percent in the early afternoon

Turnout for the Dutch municipal elections hovered around 20 percent across many municipalities by early Wednesday afternoon. Specific examples include Assen at 21 percent and Nijmegen at 20.2 percent ...

'Sometimes you think you are breaking your parents' cycle, only to find the same patterns repeating.' Paul Kroes (69) wrote a book on how generations pass on trauma

Haarlem-based author Paul Kroes has released his latest book, "Vader, zoon, engel," which explores the complexities of family ties and intergenerational trauma. The work blends autobiography and ficti...

Prosecutors demand mandatory psychiatric treatment for killing woman in Amsterdam

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has demanded TBS with compulsory psychiatric treatment for 33-year-old Khalid A. for the brutal killing of a woman in Amsterdam-West in February 2023. The suspect ...

Turkish Delight producer Rob Houwer dies at 87

Renowned film producer Rob Houwer, known for iconic Dutch films such as Turks Fruit and Soldaat van Oranje, has passed away at the age of 87. He died in Amsterdam on Friday following a long illness, w...

LIVE 2026 Municipal Elections | Rotterdam reports even lower turnout, more voters head to polls in Utrecht

Rotterdam reports a voter turnout of 13.7% by 1:00 PM during the 2026 local elections, maintaining its position as the city with the lowest participation in the Netherlands. In contrast, Utrecht recor...

Amsterdamned II keeps discrimination icon, but fine is dropped

The appeals board of the Dutch media watchdog NICAM has upheld the decision to include a discrimination icon in the classification for the film Amsterdamned II. While the rating remains, the board ove...

Extra camera surveillance for Telstar-PSV championship match

The municipality of Velsen is installing extra security cameras at the BUKO stadium for the upcoming football match between Telstar and PSV this Sunday. This measure is intended to enhance safety and ...

House prices around Amsterdam catching up with the capital

House prices in the regions surrounding Amsterdam are rising more rapidly than in the capital city itself. According to research from Calcasa, areas such as Alkmaar and the Gooi have seen the stronges...

Dozens of protesters at King Willem-Alexander's visit to Aruba

King Willem-Alexander began his official visit to Aruba on Wednesday, meeting with the Council of Ministers and faction leaders at Fort Zoutman in Oranjestad. During the meetings, approximately fifty ...

Cause of cracks in Nieuw-Vennep’s Cpunt building still unknown: 'Best-case scenario to reopen after weekend'

The Cpunt building in Nieuw-Vennep has been closed until at least March 29 after structural cracks were discovered in the floor. The municipality of Haarlemmermeer is currently conducting investigatio...

Fine dropped after complaint over Amsterdamned II, but discrimination icon remains

Compelling election story: how a homeless man once ended up in the Amsterdam city council

In 1921, a homeless man from Rembrandtplein was unexpectedly elected to the Amsterdam city council. The article highlights this historical event as a unique example of the city's unconventional politi...

Does the arrival of an asylum center at De Elta sports park influence the voting behavior of Santpoort residents? 'We have a responsibility and we must share it'

Residents of Santpoort-Zuid are considering whether the planned establishment of an asylum seeker center at Sportpark De Elta influences their choices in the current elections. Voters at 't Brederode ...

Lars and his group see them flying in IJmuiden aan Zee: ‘Hey, that’s a lifer for me, I can cross it off my list’

Nature guide Lars led a bird-watching excursion in IJmuiden aan Zee, helping participants identify species like the dunnock. The group utilized telescopes and binoculars to spot birds, with some membe...

LIVE 2026 Municipal Elections | Wim's living room is the smallest polling station in the Netherlands, 20 voters have visited so far

Wim Westhoff has turned his living room into the smallest polling station in the Netherlands for the 2026 municipal elections. Twenty voters have already visited the unique site, where they are offere...

Political podcast: JA21 leader assaulted and who won the big AT5 final debate?

This political podcast episode discusses the assault of JA21 faction leader Kevin Kreuger following the final AT5 election debate held at De Meervaart theater. Journalists from AT5, Het Parool, and De...

Armed soldiers and military vehicles in Heemskerk: Exercise in empty buildings at Tolhek

The Infantry Battalion Guarding Security of the National Reserve Corps will conduct a military exercise this Friday and Saturday at Tolhek in Heemskerk. The training focuses on urban area operations a...

Third-division DIOS wingback also flies for Sint Maarten: 'With my club I never go abroad for matches'

Tyrel Gumbs, a 25-year-old wingback for the Dutch club DIOS, has been called up to represent the Sint Maarten national football team. He will travel to the Dominican Republic to compete in matches aga...

Jacob de Greeuw celebrates 25 years of ‘Pergola’ with Johan: ‘Why not also cry to music?’

Jacob de Greeuw is celebrating the 25th anniversary of 'Pergola', a landmark album by his band Johan that was written in Hoorn during a period of personal depression. The record is widely regarded as ...

Placebo to play Ziggo Dome in October and release new album

British rock band Placebo will perform at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on October 27 as part of their anniversary tour. The announcement coincides with the news that the band is also releasing a new al...

Minors arrested for filmed assault in Enkhuizen

Three minors from Enkhuizen were arrested on Wednesday for an assault that took place in early March. The victim was forced to fight and was beaten by several people, an incident which was filmed and ...

Halsema 'very surprised' by street coaches' actions during assault of Kevin Kreuger (Ja21)

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema expressed concern after street coaches reportedly forced Ja21 politician Kevin Kreuger to delete footage of his assault on Osdorpplein. Kreuger was attacked by a group of...

Heat Fund receives more applications for making homes more energy-efficient

The Dutch National Heat Fund has reported a significant increase in applications from homeowners seeking financing for energy-efficiency improvements. This surge indicates a growing trend among proper...

Wienen calls not voting a ‘luxury problem’: ‘Incomprehensible. Then you can’t complain about what goes wrong in the city’

Haarlem Mayor Jos Wienen cast his vote on Wednesday at the Hart cultural center, where he was welcomed by hornist Misha Smock. Wienen criticized those who choose not to vote, calling it a luxury probl...

Sophie Poldermans delivers Layman's Sermon at Haarlem Remonstrants

Author Sophie Poldermans will deliver a "Layman's Sermon" at the Remonstrant community in Haarlem on April 12. Poldermans, an expert in international criminal law and human rights, is recognized for h...

How does Mayor Dales plan to get young people to the polls? ‘Sometimes I suggest ideas to my daughters, but they call me a boomer’

Mayor Frank Dales of Velsen cast his vote on Wednesday morning at the local town hall, an event documented by local media. He discussed the difficulties of engaging young people in the electoral proce...

69 demolition and tree felling notifications in Haarlem last week

The municipality of Haarlem processed 69 permit applications last week related to demolition and tree felling. Of these requests, 68 were for projects within Haarlem and one was for Spaarndam, informi...