Politics News in English

Choose your occupier: Russia, America, or China?

On March 10, former generals Peter van Uhm and Mart de Kruif will host a live event to discuss the geopolitical influence of Russia, the United States, and China. Accompanied by Eastern Europe expert ...

Trump considers US ground troops in Iran a waste of time

US President Donald Trump stated that sending ground troops to Iran is currently a waste of time. His comments follow a warning from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that any such invasion woul...

Green Heart digs in heels against wind turbines ahead of elections

Municipalities in the Groene Hart region are united in their opposition to provincial plans to install dozens of tall wind turbines in the open landscape. Local political parties are calling for these...

US states sue over new Trump tariffs

A group of 24 U.S. states has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's recently imposed 10% import tariffs. The states argue that the president is acting unlawfully by ignoring a previous ruli...

Tehran under heavy attack, Israel announces ‘new phase’

Israel launched heavy attacks on the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Friday as part of a declared new phase of the conflict. The strikes specifically targeted the regime's infrastructure following an offi...

'Sadness' and 'pride' at the last Beverwijk council meeting before the elections. 'Why is nobody worried about missing deadlines?'

The Beverwijk municipal council held its final meeting before the upcoming elections, which concluded with conflicting motions of pride and sadness. Mayor Martijn Smit declined to provide answers rega...

Solutions for housing shortage and strengthening neighborhoods in Beverwijk and Heemskerk: New performance agreements between municipalities and housing corporations

The municipalities of Heemskerk and Beverwijk have established new performance agreements with housing corporations and tenant organizations for the 2026–2029 period. These agreements prioritize add...

The Zandvoort coalition promised it four years ago, but governance culture did not improve

The Zandvoort coalition, consisting of Jong Zandvoort, CDA, VVD, and OPZ, has failed to improve the local administrative culture despite making it a top priority in their 2022 agreement. This goal was...

Ministry forbids municipalities from restricting steel slag themselves

The Dutch government has prohibited municipalities from implementing their own bans on the use of steel slag, requiring local restrictions to be reversed by the end of the year. Local officials have e...

Pride and traveler culture on UNESCO heritage shortlist

The Dutch Council for Culture has shortlisted five heritage elements, including Pride and caravan culture, for potential nomination to UNESCO's international intangible heritage list. Education Minist...

Sheher Khan, Denk lead candidate: ‘We bring the perspective of the outer neighborhoods to city hall’

US House also votes against resolution to limit Trump's power

The United States House of Representatives has rejected a resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's authority to wage war against Iran. This decision follows a similar vote by the Senate o...

Trump: Iran wants to make a deal

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Iran has contacted the United States to negotiate a new agreement. During a meeting with the Inter Miami soccer team at the White House, Trump remarke...

Vijlbrief: Emotion over breaking pension agreement underestimated

Minister Hans Vijlbrief admitted that the Dutch cabinet underestimated the emotional response to breaking an agreement within the national pension accord. Speaking on the talk show 'Pauw & De Wit,' he...

Support for defense billions also met with criticism: 'Actually meant for state pensions'

Most political parties in the Dutch House of Representatives support the allocation of billions of additional euros to Defense, though concerns remain regarding the funding source and how the money wi...

Europol warns of increased threat to EU due to Iran war

Europol has warned that rising tensions in the Middle East, specifically involving Iran, pose a direct threat to the security of the European Union. The agency noted an increased risk of terrorism, or...

NATO reinforces missile defense after Iranian missile fired toward Turkey

NATO has bolstered its ballistic missile defense systems due to increased Iranian attacks in the Middle East. This decision follows the interception of a missile heading toward Turkey, a NATO member s...

Cabinet will not implement motion for extra funds for Ukraine

The Dutch cabinet has decided not to provide additional financial support to Ukraine this year, despite a motion from the House of Representatives. Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz explained that the...

French evacuation plane forced to turn back due to Middle East rocket fire

A French government-chartered Air France flight bound for the United Arab Emirates was forced to turn back on Thursday evening due to rocket fire in the region. French Transport Minister Philippe Taba...

Minister Yesilgöz: ‘Defense will not overstep into Foreign Affairs, or vice versa’

Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgöz stated that the roles of the Defense and Foreign Affairs ministries have become more balanced and complementary. She addressed concerns about overlapping responsibilit...

Students debate at KSH Secondary School: 'It's not just about what you say, but especially how you say it'

Students at KSH Scholengemeenschap participated in a youth debate held in the school's auditorium. The event highlighted that young people have significant insights to share, emphasizing the importanc...

Israel claims to have destroyed the lion's share of Iranian air defenses

Israeli General Eyal Zamir stated that recent military strikes have disabled approximately 80 percent of Iran's air defense systems. The operations, conducted by Israel and the United States, also rep...

Form for stranded Dutch citizens filled out 9,000 times so far

The Dutch government's contact form for citizens stranded in the Middle East has been filled out at least 9,000 times. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the data and noted t...

Musical plea at Bloemendaal town hall to save the Ark

The Haarlems Straatorkest performed at the Bloemendaal city hall on Thursday to support the Ark residential community, whose six residents are set to lose their home on May 31. The group is seeking as...

250 addresses in Badhoevedorp and Lijnden did not receive voting passes, PostNL apologizes

PostNL has issued an apology after an investigation revealed that residents of three streets in Badhoevedorp and Lijnden likely did not receive their voting passes in late February. The delivery failu...

Kristi Noem out as US Homeland Security Secretary

US President Donald Trump announced that Kristi Noem will step down as Secretary of Homeland Security. She is set to be succeeded by Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin in late March, though the reaso...

Between Art and Voting with Tofik Dibi (Bij1) and Johan Dessing (FvD)

Amsterdam political candidates Tofik Dibi and Johan Dessing participated in the program 'Tussen Kunst en Kies' to create street art ahead of the municipal elections. Dibi left the session early after ...

Four major cities receive another €7 million to boost vaccination rates

EU Commissioner: EU must be prepared for influx of refugees

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner stated that the European Union must be prepared on all fronts for a potential influx of refugees from the Middle East. While there is currently no surge in mig...

Zelensky says US asked for help against Iranian drones

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the United States has requested assistance from his country to improve defenses against Iranian drones. The request aims to enhance resilience agains...