Politics News in English

Is the city's tourism policy driving away the wrong visitors? Coalition refuses to change course

Amsterdam's coalition government is facing backlash from the hospitality and business sectors due to a sharp decline in business travelers and plans to increase tourist taxes to the highest level in t...

Hundreds attend Israel demonstration at Dam Square, heavy police presence

Thousands of people attended a pro-Israel demonstration at Dam Square in Amsterdam, which proceeded despite the municipal government banning a planned counter-protest. Although the opposition gatherin...

Solar panels become a cost burden for tenants as the cabinet keeps a tight grip on spending

Tenants in the Netherlands with solar panels face financial burdens as the net-metering scheme ends in 2027, making rental costs higher than the electricity yields. Despite calls for government interv...

If the Jetten cabinet survives this week, opportunities arise: how will it break the deadlock?

Prime Minister Rob Jetten's cabinet faces a challenging political landscape following the debate on the Prince's Day plans. The government must now secure additional political support to navigate the ...

Tenants of moldy homes confront landlord Eigen Haard: "It's been going on since 1999"

Tenants from twenty-one homes in Amsterdam staged a protest at the headquarters of housing corporation Eigen Haard to demand action against persistent mold issues. The corporation has pledged to devel...

‘This will be the death blow’: Westland entrepreneurs sound the alarm over VAT on flowers

Dutch entrepreneurs in the flower industry are expressing significant concern over the government's proposal to increase the VAT rate on flowers from 9 to 21 percent. Stakeholders, including growers a...

Alderman Biemond starts in Amsterdam with challenging budget: 'You don't want to use a blunt axe'

Amsterdam's new Alderman for Finance, Hendrik Jan Biemond, has presented his first budget, which focuses on balancing necessary cost savings with ongoing city ambitions. He stated that the financial p...

Fake news from Morocco cost me three weeks of investigation: a well-known Amsterdam-Moroccan criminal turned out not to have been arrested after all

Social media law makes it harder for children to lie about their age

The European Commission has proposed the Kids Act, which restricts social media access for children under fifteen to improve safety and reduce addictive design. The regulation mandates stricter age ve...

Amsterdam municipality bans pro-Palestinian demonstration at Dam Square

The Amsterdam municipality has banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Dam Square due to security concerns regarding a concurrent pro-Israel event. Organizers are currently seeking a court injunctio...

How the Netherlands dropped to 46th place in gender equality rankings: ‘We are wasting so much talent’

The Netherlands has dropped to 46th place in the World Economic Forum's latest Global Gender Gap Index, falling behind several other nations. Experts argue this decline represents a significant waste ...

'Confiscate their passports': Israeli filmmakers condemned over award-winning Gaza documentary

An Israeli documentary titled Naza earned a lengthy standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival for its critical look at Israeli military operations in Gaza. The film has gained international praise ...

Australia reforms immigration policy: backpackers to face ballot system

Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced major immigration reforms intended to reduce annual migration numbers to 225,000 by 2028. Key measures include a new ballot system for working...

Netanyahu seeks legal change to demand higher damages from filmmakers

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to increase legal damages for defamation to punish the creators of a new documentary that alleges the Israeli military intentionally targets civilians in G...

King Charles responds to Diana's brother's book: 'Grief clouds judgment'

King Charles has responded to claims in Earl Spencer's upcoming book, arguing that prolonged grief can distort memories and judgment. The book details a disagreement between the two men following the ...

Jetten promises to re-examine the deteriorating purchasing power of workers: 'Work must pay'

Prime Minister Rob Jetten is seeking cross-party support to stabilize his minority government and pass the budget following the General Political Debates. While facing skepticism from opposition parti...

Wilders sharpens debate with Jetten after AD publication: 'Your ministers are stabbing you in the back'

Prime Minister Rob Jetten's minority cabinet remains in power after the General Political Debates but must now urgently secure parliamentary support for its budget. Despite surviving a motion of no co...

Liveblog: Finance alderman presents budget

Amsterdam Finance Alderman Hendrik Jan Biemond has presented the city's budget for the coming year, highlighting an ambitious plan to reduce the workforce by 2,500 positions. The proposal has received...

Few new plans in Amsterdam's 2027 budget

Amsterdam's 2027 budget, introduced by finance alderman Hendrik Jan Biemond, focuses primarily on cost-cutting measures and faces delays in civil service restructuring. The city plans to prioritize se...

2027 budget: civil service reorganization delayed, little room for new investments

Amsterdam's 2027 budget highlights a period of financial hardship due to rising interest costs and debt, leaving little room for new city investments. The local government is focusing on basic mainten...

2027 Budget: civil service reorganization delayed, little room for new investments

Amsterdam's 2027 budget faces severe constraints due to rising debt and interest costs, forcing the city to prioritize maintaining existing services over new large-scale investments. A planned civil s...

Amsterdam 2027 budget: getting the basics right

The City of Amsterdam is shifting its focus from policy development to the execution of plans for the 2027 budget. The funds saved through this administrative shift will be directly invested back into...

Trump threatens to halt trade with EU over relationship with Canada

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed making Canada an associate member of the EU to deepen ties in trade and defense. Donald Trump has threatened to retaliate with severe im...

US House of Representatives also approves Russian sanctions, ball in Trump's court

The US House of Representatives has approved a new sanctions package against Russia that also threatens tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy. The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, ...

His ministers already know his 'trick': how Rob Jetten operates as prime minister

This article examines the governing style of Prime Minister Rob Jetten, whom colleagues describe as a pragmatic 'fixer' with a strong grasp of ministerial dossiers. While praised for his conflict-reso...

Path to budget support remains vague: 'Shopping with us? Forget it!'

Opposition parties in the Netherlands are demanding that the governing coalition clarify its legislative strategy following Prinsjesdag. While the coalition suggests seeking majorities on a per-budget...

Left-wing activist Frank van der Linde received 500,000 euros in damages and penalties: 'Waste of tax money'

Activist Frank van der Linde has collected at least 500,000 euros in government damages and penalty payments. The activist asserts that these high costs demonstrate a fundamental breakdown within the ...

Italian government partially cuts road tax due to high fuel prices

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has introduced a road tax exemption for 14.5 million small and medium-sized vehicles to combat rising fuel prices. Critics argue the measure is a political effort...

Women's emancipation is declining, the Netherlands is lagging behind European countries

The Netherlands has slipped in global gender equality rankings due to slow progress in closing the gender gap compared to other European nations. Key factors contributing to this decline include the u...

US central bank raises interest rates to combat high inflation, first hike in over 3 years

The United States Federal Reserve has increased interest rates by a quarter percentage point to combat high inflation, marking the first such hike since July 2023. The decision sets the primary intere...