Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Digital child lock almost ready to protect youth in EU countries
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that a new EU age verification app is technically complete and will soon be available to citizens. The tool is designed to allow websites a...
Dam Square stabbing suspect wanted to make people ‘pay for financing war in Ukraine’
Sharp increase in discrimination reports in North Holland
The number of discrimination complaints in the province of North Holland rose significantly in 2025, reaching 2,070 compared to 1,332 in 2024. Data from the national discrimination monitor shows that ...
Poultry injuries before slaughter decreasing but still occur
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) reports that poultry animals, including chickens and ducks, continue to suffer injuries before being slaughtered. However, the regulat...
Roman D. deliberately stabbed Dam Square victims in the back to avoid looking them in the eye
Roman D., a suspect in a March 2023 stabbing near Amsterdam's Dam square, reportedly told prison staff he targeted victims in the back to punish European taxpayers for funding the war in Ukraine. The ...
Strict asylum laws in jeopardy after PVV U-turn
Strict asylum laws in the Netherlands are at risk after the PVV demanded that providing assistance to undocumented immigrants be criminalized. This demand is unacceptable to the CDA and SGP, likely re...
Mayor closes house after drugs found
Mayor Jos Wienen has closed a residence on Madridplantsoen for six months following the discovery of more than 25 kilograms of soft drugs and distribution equipment. The closure was upheld by a court ...
Turkish president tries to help extend Iran-US truce
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey is working to extend a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Turkey is currently in close coordination with both countries...
Iran threatens regional shipping if US blockade continues
Iran's military leadership has threatened to halt shipping in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea. This warning is contingent on the continuation of the United States' maritime blockad...
Parties slam Hart voor Bloemendaal’s conduct following Gerard Metselaar’s departure
Political factions have condemned the party Hart voor Bloemendaal for accusing departing council member Gerard Metselaar of alcohol abuse in a press statement. Critics labeled the party's public accus...
Spanish investigation identifies those responsible for major power outage
A Spanish Senate investigation has identified the government, grid operator, and energy regulator as responsible for a major power outage that occurred last year. This marks the first inquiry to assig...
PostNL remains the only party delivering letters and cards in the Netherlands
PostNL will remain the sole provider of the universal postal service in the Netherlands after the Ministry of Economic Affairs rejected bids from two other companies. The competing firms did not appea...
Hila Noorzai's Taliban documentary back on air after interviewee's arrest
The documentary 'Hila voorbij de Taliban' by Hila Noorzai is once again available on the Dutch streaming service NPO Start. It was previously taken offline after a woman interviewed in the series was ...
Greenhouses found to be leaking: Pesticide levels in water often too high
Pesticide leakage from greenhouses into Dutch waterways is decreasing but remains at levels that threaten aquatic life such as fish and insects. Although the official goal is to eliminate nearly all l...
Magyar expects inauguration of new Hungarian government in mid-May
Péter Magyar, the winner of the Hungarian elections, expects his new government to be inaugurated in mid-May following a meeting with President Tamás Sulyok. The Hungarian parliament is scheduled to...
Pakistani PM travels abroad amid peace talk speculation
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is beginning a four-day diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. The trip follows speculation that Pakistan will host peace negotiations between Ira...
NCAB: Antisemitism figures show a worrying picture once again
The Dutch National Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism reported that police registered 867 antisemitic incidents in 2025, a figure nearly identical to the previous year's 880 cases. Eddo Verdoner d...
More discrimination reports last year, many involving Wilders
Reports of discrimination in the Netherlands increased last year, with many complaints linked to a social media post by PVV leader Geert Wilders. A study detailing these findings was presented to Inte...
Epe maintains penalty for COA over asylum reception
The municipality of Epe has finalized a daily penalty payment of ‣63,480 against the COA for failing to close an emergency asylum shelter in a local hotel on time. The COA has been given one additio...
Inspectorate: School leaders too busy to do their jobs properly
The Dutch Inspectorate of Education's annual report states that school leaders are currently too overburdened with tasks to effectively perform their roles. This workload prevents them from addressing...
60 municipal notices on demolition and tree felling in Haarlem last week
In the past week, the municipality of Haarlem processed 60 permit applications related to demolition and tree removal. Local residents are encouraged to check the list of applications to see how these...
Inspectorate sounds alarm: literacy and numeracy levels in secondary schools continue to decline
The Dutch Education Inspectorate reports a continuing decline in language and math proficiency among secondary school students. Conversely, primary school performance has stabilized and returned to le...
UK to send another 120,000 drones to Ukraine this year
The United Kingdom has announced it will supply at least 120,000 additional drones to Ukraine this year to assist in defending against Russian forces. British Defense Minister John Healey urged intern...
Pleached lime trees in Zijlstraat saved at the last minute: property owner postpones removal until further notice
Three linden trees in Haarlem's Zijlstraat will remain for now after property owner Frank van Kordelaar postponed their planned removal. He has decided to wait for the outcome of an appeal process bef...
Public heating company closer through partnership with Diemen, significant funding still needed
Amsterdam, Alliander, and EBN have reached new agreements to establish a public heat company, with the municipality of Diemen joining the initiative to improve financial viability. The project aims to...
Frankfurt Airport sees decline in passenger numbers to Middle East
Frankfurt Airport has experienced a significant decline in passenger numbers traveling to the Middle East over the past month. This decrease is attributed to the ongoing conflict between Iran and the ...
Highway traffic flow improves, but pressure on road network grows
Traffic volume on Dutch highways has returned to pre-pandemic levels, though flow improved in 2025 thanks to road expansions. However, Rijkswaterstaat notes that aging infrastructure like bridges and ...
UN watchdog sees increase in North Korea nuclear activity
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi warns that North Korea is significantly expanding its nuclear weapon production capacity. He noted a rapid increase in activities at a reactor used for uranium ...
Netherlands and Germany intensify crackdown on heavy fireworks
The Netherlands and Germany are intensifying their cooperation to combat the distribution and use of heavy illegal fireworks. Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten met with German officials in Düsseldorf o...
