Politics News in English

Criticism of chaotic district official appointments: "Gap between government and citizens couldn't be wider"

The appointment of district board members in Amsterdam is facing intense criticism after a series of chaotic events, including last-minute withdrawals and candidate rejections by local committees. Cri...

Criticism of chaotic district board appointments: "Gap between government and citizens couldn't be wider"

The process of appointing district administrators in Amsterdam is currently in turmoil following the sudden withdrawal of a key candidate and the rejection of others by local committees. Opposition pa...

Newly appointed alderman Esmah Lahlah still looking for a bike, a house, and a regular bouldering gym

Esmah Lahlah, the new Alderman for Education, Youth, and Equality in Amsterdam, is transitioning to her role after serving in the Dutch House of Representatives. She is currently searching for a resid...

New alderman Esmah Lahlah still looking for a bike, a house and a regular bouldering gym

Esmah Lahlah, the new Amsterdam alderwoman for Education and Youth, is transitioning to the city after previously serving as an alderwoman in Tilburg and a member of the Dutch House of Representatives...

Utrecht University grants scholarships to seven students from Gaza

Utrecht University has awarded scholarships to seven students from Gaza, allowing them to pursue their studies at the institution. The university confirmed on its website that all seven students have ...

Gorinchem council parties await further fraud investigation

Political parties in the Gorinchem city council are awaiting further results from a voter fraud investigation following the arrest of six individuals. Local leaders stated they will refrain from comme...

Mayor Halsema defends board nominations after rejection in Zuidoost: ‘Don’t target individuals, it is damaging’

No Haarlem funding for TommyTomato for now

The Haarlem municipality has not yet confirmed an investment in the lunch box company TommyTomato, with director Bas Turk stating the deal remains optional. Any potential funding is not expected to be...

Private jets cannot simply be excluded from EU ‘green’ list

A European judge ruled on Wednesday that private jets cannot be arbitrarily excluded from the European Union's list of sustainable investments. The ruling forces the European Commission to re-evaluate...

Q&A | Is removing solar panels smart? 'In winter, every extra panel helps'

The Dutch government will end the net metering scheme for solar panels next year, meaning households can no longer offset surplus energy against their annual consumption. Experts advise against removi...

44 municipal notices on construction, demolition, tree felling, and hospitality in Haarlem last week

The municipality of Haarlem processed 44 permit applications last week regarding local construction, demolition, tree felling, and catering. These notifications provide residents with information abou...

876 extra deaths in 2023: doubts over whether the country is now prepared for extreme heat

In June 2023, 876 excess deaths occurred in the Netherlands, likely due to heat and an unactivated National Heat Plan. As another potential super-heatwave approaches, there are concerns regarding whet...

FVD school receives government funding and reopens in August

The Forum voor Democratie (FVD) primary school in Almere is set to reopen this August after securing government funding from the Dutch state. The school, known as the Renaissanceschool, had previously...

Iran calls deal with US 'declaration of American defeat'

Iranian Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has described a preliminary agreement with the United States as a 'declaration of American defeat.' This statement directly contradicts President Donald Trump'...

Painful rearguard battle in murdered Lisa case: lawyers seek clarity on police database snooping

Six people arrested in Gorinchem voter fraud investigation

Police arrested six individuals between the ages of 20 and 65 on Tuesday in connection with an investigation into voter fraud during municipal elections in Gorinchem. The suspects face charges of forg...

Lawyer: Lisa's family suffering from debate over police systems

During a preliminary hearing in Amsterdam for suspect Chris Jude, lawyer Wendy van Egmond stated that the family of murder victim Lisa is suffering due to ongoing debates about police officers imprope...

Children's Ombudsman: children not a priority in COVID-19 approach

Children's Ombudsman Margrite Kalverboer testified before a parliamentary inquiry committee that children's interests were not prioritized during the COVID-19 pandemic. She stated that the needs and w...

Spanish PM defends himself in parliament after corruption scandals

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his government in parliament against opposition accusations of systemic corruption. The defense follows recent legal developments including a prison sent...

FNV sees high willingness to take action across all public transport sectors

A public transport strike on Wednesday morning was successful, with the FNV Spoor union reporting high participation across the sector. Union official Henri Janssen noted a strong willingness among wo...

EU tightens rules for working with carcinogenic substances

The European Union is tightening regulations to protect workers from carcinogenic and other hazardous substances to prevent serious illnesses. These measures are expected to save approximately 1.16 bi...

Ter Apel asylum seekers in night shelter again, now in Zwolle

On Tuesday night, 36 asylum seekers were provided with emergency shelter in Zwolle because the registration center in Ter Apel had reached capacity. This marks the return of emergency night housing af...

Watch: COVID hearing with the Children's Ombudsman

The Dutch parliamentary inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic is currently examining the impact of school closures during lockdowns. Children's Ombudsman Margrite Kalverboer and former VO-raad chairman P...

Moerdijk residents call option to save village not credible

Local politicians in Moerdijk, including Mayor Aart-Jan Moerkerke and councilor Jolijn Koevoets, have expressed skepticism regarding a proposal to preserve the village while expanding the local power ...

Ministry: Schiphol temporarily returns to passport control only to avoid long queues

The Dutch Ministry of Justice will temporarily suspend biometric controls at Schiphol Airport this summer to prevent long queues and manage expected holiday crowds. This decision responds to warnings ...

GVB expects normal service from noon; RET late morning

Public transport operators in major Dutch cities are resuming services following a strike on Wednesday morning. Amsterdam's GVB expects to return to its regular schedule by noon, while Rotterdam's RET...

Israel in talks with Lebanon on returning South Lebanon territory

Israel and Lebanon have discussed a U.S.-led proposal in Washington for the Israeli military to withdraw from parts of southern Lebanon. Under the potential pilot program, the United States would trai...

Germany wants to raise retirement age to 70

The German government supports plans to gradually increase the retirement age to approximately 70 years. Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed the measure to prevent the pension system from collapsing du...

Descendants of slave owner and enslaved people find each other and create a performance

Elena Beelaerts van Blokland and Destin den Hertog have created a performance titled "Slavenhouder in mijn familie" after discovering they are descendants of a 19th-century slave owner and the enslave...

Right-wing Fujimori wins Peru presidential election after long struggle

Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori has emerged as the winner of the Peruvian presidential election after a lengthy vote count. She secured an insurmountable lead over the left-wing candidate Roberto ...