Politics News in English

Local ceasefire for repairs at Ukrainian nuclear power plant

A local ceasefire has been established around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine to allow for the repair of damaged cables. The facility has been under Russian control since shortly after...

'Unacceptable': after DigiD, Dutch Tax Authority also wants to put VAT software in US hands

The Dutch Tax Authority is considering outsourcing the management of the national VAT system to an American IT company, raising concerns about national sovereignty. Experts warn that this move could a...

Put simply, the state pension row is about 2.7 billion: these are the alternatives for Jetten

Prime Minister Rob Jetten is considering alternatives to raising the state pension age while still needing to secure 2.7 billion euros for the national budget. Although several options for cutting cos...

Climate coalition warns again: ‘Climate policy is barely getting off the ground’

One month before the elections, the Haarlem Climate Coalition has issued strong criticism regarding the city's climate policy. The group claims that the implementation of environmental initiatives is ...

Santpoort-Zuid asylum center site to become neighborhood park; recreational walking path possible

The municipality has announced that the site of a future asylum seekers' center at De Elta sports park will eventually be transformed into a neighborhood park. The long-term plan includes the potentia...

Municipal elections on March 18: what the SP wants

On Wednesday, March 18, residents of Haarlem will go to the polls to elect a new municipal council. Reporter Nynke La Porte is providing an overview of the different political parties and their plans,...

Municipal elections on March 18: what the Action Party wants

On March 18, residents of Haarlem will vote in the municipal elections to select a new city council. Reporter Nynke La Porte provides an overview of the candidates and their plans, focusing on the Act...

The Housing Crisis Sightseeing Tour takes you past 'expensive yuppie flats and exploited rentals'

Protesters in Amsterdam will hold a "Wooncrisis City Sightseeing Tour" this Sunday to highlight the city's ongoing housing shortage and rising living costs. The event marks five years since the first ...

Ousted alderman Özütok: 'I expect an apology.' Preliminary misconduct probe finds no grounds for integrity investigation

A preliminary investigation into alleged transgressive behavior by former Beverwijk alderman Nevin Özütok has concluded there is no basis for further integrity research. While Özütok is demanding ...

Greens win in Labour stronghold, fresh blow for Starmer

The Green Party won a by-election in the Gorton and Denton constituency near Manchester, a traditional Labour stronghold. The Labour Party fell to third place behind Nigel Farage's Reform UK, marking ...

Pakistan declares ‘open war’ on Afghan Taliban

The Pakistani Minister of Defense declared an "open war" against the Afghan Taliban government following several days of cross-border attacks. Both neighboring countries have been engaged in deadly mi...

Haarlem parties clash over housing shortage: build, build, build, but for whom exactly?

On Wednesday evening, political parties in Haarlem gathered at the Pletterij debate center to discuss the city's housing shortage and construction goals. The debate focused on identifying where new ho...

Housing group soon without a home, splitting up is not an option: May is getting very close

The De Nieuwe Ark residential group in Haarlem is urgently seeking a new home because their current building is scheduled for demolition on May 31. The group, which includes residents with disabilitie...

Transition pays off, pensions to rise significantly

Retirees switching to the new pension system are seeing an average increase of 14 percent in their payouts, with some increases reaching up to 20 percent. However, these higher incomes may lead to a r...

Volt lead candidate Juliet Broersen: ‘I think the city can be much more progressive’

Majority back state pension motion that unions say doesn't go far enough

A majority of the Dutch House of Representatives has passed a motion to soften proposed increases to the state pension (AOW) age. While supported by coalition parties and some opposition, trade unions...

Parliament wants to offset losses in revised Box 3

The Dutch House of Representatives has passed a motion to allow the offsetting of investment losses from previous years within the new Box 3 tax system. Supported by a majority including the VVD, Chri...

Bruls apologizes for Nijmegen's role in slavery system

Mayor Hubert Bruls of Nijmegen has formally apologized for the city government's involvement in the colonial slavery system during a private meeting at Radboud University. The apology follows a 2025 u...

Markuszower group wants to keep coalition agreement intact, helping the cabinet

The Markuszower Group has pledged temporary support for the Dutch minority cabinet, opting to leave the existing coalition agreement between D66, VVD, and CDA unchanged. Vice-chairman Hidde Heutink ar...

Melania to chair UN Security Council meeting next week

Melania Trump will preside over a United Nations Security Council meeting next week, marking the first time a First Lady has held such a position. Her office stated that she will use the session to em...

Three takeaways from the new cabinet's first debate

Prime Minister Rob Jetten's minority cabinet must re-evaluate several policy areas following its first debate with the House of Representatives. Adjustments are required for plans concerning state pen...

Negotiators in Geneva call Zelensky after talks

US and Ukrainian delegations met in Geneva on Thursday to discuss diplomatic negotiations. Following the session, the delegations consulted with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who noted a strong willin...

Mona Keijzer faces same fate as Pieter Omtzigt with BBB departure

Mona Keijzer has left the BBB party to continue as an independent member in the Dutch House of Representatives. Consequently, she will face a significantly reduced budget for staff and limited speakin...

Iran summons Dutch ambassador over Starlink in luggage

The Iranian government has summoned Dutch Ambassador Emiel de Bont to address the discovery of prohibited items in an embassy staff member's luggage. The incident involved the transport of a Starlink ...

Kansas revokes driver's licenses and birth certificates of trans people

The US state of Kansas has invalidated the driver's licenses and birth certificates of more than a thousand transgender individuals who had updated their gender markers. A new law that took effect on ...

Far-right protesters throw fireworks in central Utrecht

Dozens of far-right protesters from the group Defend Netherlands gathered in Utrecht for a memorial for a French activist. The demonstration near the ACU political center turned hostile as participant...

Man killed on speedboat near Cuba wanted to spark uprising

One of the men shot dead by the Cuban coast guard on a speedboat this past Wednesday was allegedly planning to initiate an uprising on the island. A political ally of the man shared this information w...

Iran-US negotiations in Geneva end

Negotiations between the United States and Iran in Geneva have concluded with significant progress reported by the Omani mediator. The talks are scheduled to resume next week in Vienna.

Group of antifascists at ACU in Utrecht over Defend Netherlands

A group of 150 to 200 anti-fascist demonstrators gathered in downtown Utrecht to protest against the far-right organization Defend Netherlands. The protesters chanted slogans such as "never again fasc...

Afghanistan claims retaliatory attacks on Pakistan

Afghanistan has launched retaliatory strikes against Pakistan, claiming to have captured several military bases along the border. Pakistan countered that the attacks were unprovoked and stated that it...