Netherlands News in English
Dutch national news translated to English. Politics, economy, housing, immigration, and more for expats and internationals.
Beau van Erven Dorens calls it 'shitty' that RTL Tonight is ending
Presenter Beau van Erven Dorens expressed his disappointment during Sunday's broadcast of RTL Tonight regarding the network's decision to cancel the show. He described the news of the program ending a...
Court: Mayor was allowed to fine Haarlem business for oversized terrace
A judge has ruled that Haarlem Mayor Jos Wienen was authorized to impose a penalty on restaurant Markd for maintaining an oversized terrace on Damstraat. The court confirmed that the mayor acted withi...
Farmers pressure cabinet: ‘Follow Germany and open the hunt for the wolf’
Dutch farmers and the agricultural organization LTO Noord are urging the new cabinet to permit wolf hunting to reduce the population to manageable levels. They argue that wolves increasingly target ea...
Number of suspects in Haarlem drops for second year in a row
The number of crime suspects in Haarlem has decreased for the second consecutive year, with 1,160 residents identified as suspects in 2023. These figures were recently released by the Central Bureau o...
Amnesty warns of human rights violations at World Cup
Amnesty International has warned of serious human rights risks associated with the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament, scheduled for June and...
Person injured in fight at asylum seekers' center in Southeast
A man was injured and hospitalized following a fight involving four people at an asylum seekers center on Hogehilweg in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Emergency services responded to the scene after 9:30 PM, but...
Code yellow in coastal provinces due to showers with heavy wind gusts
The Dutch weather service KNMI has issued a code yellow warning for the coastal provinces and the IJsselmeer area for Sunday night into Monday morning. Heavy showers are expected to bring wind gusts r...
Abbenes to get second-hand bicycle bridge with poem on the side
The municipality of Haarlemmermeer is installing a second-hand bicycle bridge over the Hoofdvaart canal near Abbenes. The bridge will feature a poem on its side written by local polder poet Leo Richar...
How John Bijl became the world's largest fern grower thanks to a 'magic box' invention
Vitro Plus, led by John Bijl, has become the world's largest fern grower, controlling 80% of the global market with 40 million mini-plants produced annually. Based in Zeeland, the company’s success ...
Police expect driver to set an example, but pull 50-year-old in special bus off the road: ‘Exceptional’
A 50-year-old driver from Haarlem had his license confiscated on Sunday after being caught speeding in a special transport vehicle. The driver was traveling 57 kilometers per hour over the speed limit...
While Netherlands waits for EU, other member states work on their own social media bans for children
While the Netherlands waits for European Union regulations, other member states like Austria are implementing their own national bans on social media for children under 14. Several EU countries are pu...
Gerard hands over De Boekel campsite to daughter and son-in-law: ‘I performed at the top level for years, now I’m winding down’
Gerard Swart is stepping down from managing camping De Boekel in Akersloot after dedicating his life to the family business. He is handing over the operations to his daughter, Mary Swart, and his son-...
Everyone has a right to a home: Leo Kwant passes Sterk Velsen baton to son Milco
After sixteen years, 77-year-old Leo Kwant is retiring from his city council seat and chairmanship of the Sterk Velsen party. He will be succeeded by his 39-year-old son, Milco Kwant, during a transit...
KLM longs for Airbus A350: ‘Suitable for all geopolitical turbulence’
KLM is investing 7 billion euros in new aircraft, including the Airbus A350, to support long-term growth and navigate current geopolitical challenges. Despite facing difficulties from the pandemic's a...
Lively swapping at the Swapshare in Schalkwijk. ‘Great when someone else is happy with something you no longer use’
The Schalkwijk shopping center hosted a "Swapshare" event where visitors could trade items they no longer used for something new. The initiative encouraged community sharing and provided a lively atmo...
Triple Threat ends regular season with win in Zwolle
The Haarlem-based basketball team Triple Threat concluded their regular season with a 75-92 victory over Zwolle on Sunday evening. This win marks the end of the regular season for the squad as they pr...
Furnishing caravans and testing tents: camping season begins. 'High fuel prices keep people in their own country'
The camping season has officially begun, with visitors at Camping Bakkum and throughout the region preparing their caravans and campsites for the year. High fuel prices are expected to contribute to a...
Netherlands considers building strategic gas reserves: 'If it goes well, it doesn't seem important. If it goes badly, you're too late'
The Netherlands is exploring the creation of strategic gas reserves as winter stocks hit their lowest level in a decade. This move comes amid increasing pressure on energy supplies due to the ongoing ...
Person injured in stabbing at Landgraaf shopping center
A man was injured during a stabbing incident at a shopping center in Landgraaf on Sunday afternoon. Police arrested a 51-year-old suspect from Landgraaf shortly after the incident occurred.
Running in superhero outfits for children with kidney disease: over 30,000 euros raised
The Kidnie initiative organized a sponsored run in Amsterdam's De Bretten nature reserve, raising over 30,000 euros for research into curing children's kidney diseases. Participants, many dressed in s...
Bloemendaal faces headwinds in battle for play-off spot: 'Competition is cutthroat'
Bloemendaal lost 2-3 to Den Bosch at their home ground in the seventeenth round of the Dutch Hoofdklasse field hockey league. This defeat complicates their efforts to secure a play-off spot as the com...
Hollandse 100: 354,000 euros for lymphoma research
The tenth anniversary edition of De Hollandse 100 raised a record-breaking €354,000 for lymphoma research. Over 740 participants took part in the sporting event, and donations can still be made unti...
Gap on the pitch much smaller than in the standings: Velsen and Hillegom finish 2-2
Velsen and Hillegom played to a 2-2 draw on Sunday afternoon in a closely contested football match. The game lasted over 96 minutes and took place under challenging conditions, with the performance on...
'If only we knew?' Unexplained off-day costs Bloemendaal points
Bloemendaal suffered a 1-3 home defeat against Oranje-Rood during the seventeenth round of the league competition. Despite the unexpected loss, coach André Morees' team maintains its seventh-place po...
Rood-Wit falls one goal short of epic comeback. Hockey players score three times in final quarter
The Rood-Wit women's hockey team narrowly missed completing an epic comeback against league leaders Klein Zwitserland after falling behind 4-0. Despite scoring three goals in the final quarter, the te...
Diemen celebrates 800th anniversary: "It could have been the center of Amsterdam"
Diemen is celebrating its 800th anniversary, highlighting its history as a town that is older than neighboring Amsterdam. While economic factors such as toll privileges historically allowed Amsterdam ...
Beach houses return to the Kleine Strand in IJmuiden: 'I still find beach life beautiful every year'
Beach houses have been returned to the Kleine Strand in IJmuiden aan Zee for the upcoming season. On Saturday, heavy machinery was used to transport the units from their winter storage to their positi...
St Matthew Passion in Haarlem: Jesus' passion story fills sold-out Phil again
The St Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach continues its long-standing tradition in Haarlem, where it has been performed by COV Haarlem since 1929. This year’s Good Friday performance at the Ph...
Customers say goodbye to Frank Evers' specialty tobacco shop after 98 years: It’s like a pub here, but for cigarettes
The tobacco specialty shop Vivant Frank Evers in Hillegom is closing its doors after 98 years of business. The shop is merging with a nearby Readshop, where long-time employee Leonie Rodewijk will con...
Old Dutch games, pancake baking and ‘medieval’ photoshoots in Beverwijk. ‘A lot was free and free always works’
Residents of the Oosterwijk neighborhood in Beverwijk participated in activities such as pancake baking and old Dutch games on Saturday. The event was held to celebrate the 750th anniversary of Beverw...