Politics News in English

Little disappointment among South and Red Light District residents over erotic center cancellation

Residents of Amsterdam's Zuid and De Wallen neighborhoods have reacted positively to the decision by political parties PRO and D66 to scrap plans for a centralized erotic center. The coalition will in...

Little disappointment among South and Red Light District residents over scrapped erotic center

Residents of Amsterdam's South and Red Light districts have reacted positively to the decision by political parties PRO and D66 to scrap plans for a large centralized erotic center. Instead of a singl...

'The misery in Groningen is so massive, I had no idea.' Spaarndam author Anne-Gine Goemans dives into earthquake zone for thriller

Spaarndam-based author Anne-Gine Goemans has released a new thriller set in the earthquake-stricken province of Groningen. The novel explores both the physical damage and the emotional toll on residen...

Velsen municipality miscalculates phone outages due to small Excel error

The municipality of Velsen incorrectly reported a phone outage of over 25 days instead of just three due to a calculation error in an Excel file. Telecom provider Vodafone flagged the mistake after no...

70,000 fans relieved: controversial rapper Kanye West allowed to perform in Arnhem

A Dutch court has rejected a request from a Jewish interest organization to declare Kanye West an undesirable person, allowing his scheduled performance in Arnhem to proceed. The ruling ensures that t...

Haarlem must house 283 more status holders this year

The municipality of Haarlem must provide housing for an additional 283 status holders by the end of this year, according to new figures from the Dutch government. Since the beginning of 2024, 91 refug...

Standing on its own feet is a necessity for Europe, but it costs a lot of money

Europe aims to reduce its technological dependency on the United States and China to mitigate vulnerability to external political shifts. Although establishing autonomy is viewed as a strategic necess...

What lessons is Zandvoort learning from a tumultuous Pentecost weekend? Calls for more measures grow louder

During the Pentecost weekend in Zandvoort, groups of troublemakers caused significant unrest, vandalism, and threats along the beach and boulevard. The disturbances forced two beach pavilions to close...

Condition of bridges in Velsen is good, only Juliana Bridge needs replacement

While a third of Dutch municipalities struggle with bridge maintenance backlogs, the situation in Velsen is reportedly good. Only the Julianabrug requires replacement, a project that has already been ...

Political reporter Tim Wagemakers on the coalition agreement: ‘Car owners will pay more’

Reactions to Amsterdam coalition agreement: ‘The only truly progressive thing is making car ownership impossible’

Fifty reports of street insecurity made to the municipality so far

The municipality of Amsterdam has received fifty reports regarding street safety since implementing a more streamlined reporting system earlier this year. This change aims to better identify specific ...

Fifty reports of street safety concerns made to the municipality so far

The City of Amsterdam has processed fifty reports from residents about unsafe public spaces since improving its system for tracking safety-related complaints. This data collection initiative follows a...

Haarlem spends millions extra on laptops and smartphones for officials: 'Rise of AI driving up prices'

The municipality of Haarlem will invest an additional 7.5 million euros over the next five years to provide civil servants with updated laptops and smartphones. This budget increase is driven by stric...

How much extra traffic will the construction of 24 apartments on Willem de Zwijgerlaan in Castricum cause? ‘It’s often very busy already’

Residents expressed concerns about increased traffic and parking issues during a meeting regarding the construction of 24 new apartments on Willem de Zwijgerlaan in Castricum. The participation evenin...

New parking rules for Hoofddorp city center

New parking regulations will take effect in the city center of Hoofddorp starting October 1st to improve accessibility for residents and visitors. The municipality of Haarlemmermeer is implementing th...

Dam Square closed on June 9 and 17 for state visits

Dam Square and surrounding streets in Amsterdam will be temporarily closed on June 9 and 17 to accommodate state visits by the President of Germany and the Emperor of Japan. These measures are necessa...

Vijlbrief puts knife to meat industry's throat: agency worker ban looms in two weeks

Minister Hans Vijlbrief has issued a two-week deadline for the meat processing industry to address labor abuses or face a ban on hiring temporary workers. This measure aims to compel slaughterhouses a...

New European tech package: more data centers and less dependence on Big Tech

The European Commission has introduced a new package of technology regulations aimed at reducing the continent's dependence on American big tech companies. The initiative focuses on promoting homegrow...

Economists expect petrol to reach 2.82 euros per liter and energy bills to rise by 40 euros per month

Economists predict that gasoline prices could rise to 2.82 euros per liter this summer due to the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Furthermore, new energy contracts are expected to increase...

Cheap summer train subscription starts a week early: Off-peak travel for 49 euros a month from June 15

A discounted summer train subscription offering off-peak travel for 49 euros per month will now take effect on June 15, one week earlier than the originally planned June 21 start date. This adjustment...

Rapper Ye is already in Amsterdam, entry can no longer be denied

Zaanstad receives extra funding to tackle subsiding homes with wooden foundations

The municipality of Zaanstad has received 1 million euros from the Dutch government to address foundation problems in homes with wooden foundations. This funding will be specifically used to accelerat...

US threatens new import tariffs on EU and dozens of other economies

The United States is threatening to impose new import tariffs on products from sixty economies, including the European Union, Canada, and China. The U.S. claims these regions are not doing enough to p...

Greenpeace allowed to challenge multi-million dollar US fine in the Netherlands

The Amsterdam District Court has ruled that it is competent to hear a legal challenge by Greenpeace against a US court order to pay nearly 300 million euros in damages to Energy Transfer. This decisio...

Lonneke from Hillegom outraged by large-scale mowing of colorful flower strips in Heemstede: 'I couldn't believe it'

Lonneke Poels from Hillegom expressed outrage after the municipality of Heemstede mowed down vibrant wildflower strips along the Leidsevaart while they were in full bloom. She criticized the timing of...

Penalty payments for long-waiting benefit scandal parents temporarily suspended

Victims of the Dutch childcare benefits scandal seeking compensation currently face average wait times of over two years for a decision. Despite these significant delays, the Benefits Service will tem...

National snack bar association ProFri outraged by Haarlem fast-food ban in new district: 'Local arbitrariness'

The national snack bar association ProFri has expressed outrage over the city of Haarlem's plan to prohibit fast food outlets in the new Hart voor Oostpoort neighborhood. Director Sven Flapper labeled...

Live blog reactions to coalition agreement: Good steps, but the handbrake stays on

PRO Amsterdam and D66 have presented a new four-year coalition agreement for Amsterdam that features civil service cuts, the cancellation of a planned erotic center, and a freeze on property tax incre...

Son of columnist Yesim Candan attacked with chain lock after football column in Het Parool

The son of columnist Yesim Candan was attacked and injured with a chain lock in Amsterdam on Tuesday evening. Candan believes the assault is linked to a critical column she recently wrote about the mu...