Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Counting Haarlem votes again: who gets the preferential vote?
The municipality of Haarlem conducted a comprehensive recount of election votes on Thursday at the Kennemer Sportcenter. Dozens of counters were utilized to determine the exact number of preference vo...
BVNL Haarlemmermeer will not return to the council: 'A pity for the residents'
BVNL is set to lose its seat in the Haarlemmermeer municipal council after receiving less than two percent of the votes. The party expressed regret that its message did not resonate sufficiently with ...
The resurrection of Forum seems complete with gains in almost all municipalities. ‘Normalization of the far-right’
Forum voor Democratie emerged as a significant winner in the Dutch municipal elections, making gains in previously held municipalities and ranking as the highest new entrant in others. Experts warn th...
Wilders texted Richard de Mos: Amigo, fantastic! Your big head was even on my doormat
Richard de Mos of Hart voor Den Haag celebrated winning 16 seats in the local elections in The Hague with champagne and cake. He received congratulatory messages from Geert Wilders and Rob Jetten foll...
Almost all parties claim victory after local elections
Almost all political parties are claiming victory following the recent municipal elections, citing gains in individual seats or total votes. Celebrations took place on Thursday as parties highlighted ...
KLM suspends flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam until May 17
KLM has suspended all flights to Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam until May 17 due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This decision impacts routes from the airline's hub in the Netherlands to both t...
Largest party despite drunk driving accident: Limburg lead candidate overjoyed with election victory
Levin de Koster and his party, Vernieuwingsgroep, secured a significant victory in the Beekdaelen municipal elections, garnering over 30% of the vote. This success occurred despite De Koster's prior c...
Sebastiaan wears two buttons: one with the party logo, the other with the face of his late father Alex van Luijn
Sebastiaan van Luijn attended an election night in Beverwijk wearing buttons to honor both the Samen Lokaal party and his late father, Alex van Luijn. His father was a co-founder of the party, and Seb...
'I thought: is everything lost now?' Danny van Leeuwen (Actiepartij) had a nerve-wracking evening but keeps his seat
Danny van Leeuwen, the leader of the Actiepartij, successfully secured a seat in the Haarlem municipal elections following a tense night of counting. He described the nerve-wracking experience as a "f...
Netherlands and allies 'ready' to assist in Strait of Hormuz
The Netherlands and five major allies, including the United Kingdom and Germany, have announced their readiness to support efforts in protecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This joint state...
Hillegom seems to have reached a deal: BBH, D66 and Bloeiend Hillegom to form coalition
The political parties BBH, D66, and Bloeiend Hillegom are expected to form a new governing coalition in Hillegom following the municipal elections. Leaders from all three parties have expressed agreem...
GL-PvdA had the wind in its sails, then came the blow: the election's biggest loser
Despite recent polls positioning GroenLinks-PvdA as the largest party in the Netherlands, the coalition suffered a significant blow in the municipal elections. Party members had entered the campaign w...
What happens to your vote after the municipal elections?
Following the municipal elections held on March 18 in the Netherlands, this article explains the process of how votes are translated into seats within a new city council. It aims to clarify who repres...
Ouwehand: Do not stay silent about the rise of far-right parties
Esther Ouwehand, leader of the Party for the Animals, has stated that her party will not remain silent regarding the rise of far-right and radical-right parties following the Dutch municipal elections...
Starmer condemns Iranian attack on Qatar gas facility
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly condemned an Iranian attack on a gas facility in Qatar that occurred on Wednesday night. QatarEnergy reported significant damage and multiple fires at ...
Parties must remove campaign signs within a week
Political parties in several Dutch municipalities, including Rotterdam, Tilburg, and Utrecht, are required to remove their own campaign boards within one week. This requirement was confirmed following...
Prosecutors demand prison and community service for man for incitement and threatening journalists
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has demanded a ten-month prison sentence, including seven months suspended, and 120 hours of community service against a man for threatening journalists Chris Klom...
Airlines warn ticket prices will rise due to Iran war
Major European airlines warn that flight ticket prices will increase as jet fuel costs rise due to the conflict in the Middle East. Travelers can expect higher fares as a direct result of these increa...
US Defense Secretary: we will finish the war in Iran
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the United States will continue military operations in Iran until all objectives are met. Hegseth stated that the U.S. plans to conduct its largest n...
Mediators try to save new European fighter jet
France and Germany have appointed mediators to resolve a dispute between manufacturers and save their joint project for a new European fighter jet. The mediators have been given one month to reach an ...
LIVE 2026 Municipal Elections | Extinction Rebellion responds to Hart voor Den Haag threats, losses for GroenLinks-PvdA, SP and CU
Hart voor Den Haag has threatened a harsh crackdown on Extinction Rebellion protesters using riot police and water cannons following the 2026 municipal elections. The climate activist group stated the...
XR to continue protesting despite De Mos ‘threats’
Extinction Rebellion has stated it will continue to protest in The Hague even if Richard de Mos joins the city government. The activist group maintains that threats from local political parties will n...
Community officer, baby advocate and right-wing hardliner lose seats in Haarlem: Seven councilors forced out
Following the municipal elections in Haarlem, seven council members have lost their seats because they were ranked too low on their party lists to secure re-election. The departing politicians include...
Local parties grow, losses for GroenLinks-PvdA, SP and CU
Local parties achieved record success in the Dutch municipal elections, winning 3,391 seats and capturing 34 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, national parties such as GroenLinks-PvdA saw a significant ...
LIVE 2026 Municipal Elections | Local parties grow, losses for GroenLinks-PvdA, SP and CU
Local parties achieved a record result in the 2026 Dutch municipal elections, securing 3,391 seats and approximately 34 percent of the total vote. Among national parties, GroenLinks-PvdA experienced t...
Danish media: Soldiers in Greenland prepared for US invasion
Danish media reports that Denmark secretly prepared to repel a potential U.S. invasion of Greenland in January. While publicly framed as a military exercise, insiders claim the operation was actually ...
Paternotte sees election result as a boost for the coalition
D66 parliamentary leader Jan Paternotte described the municipal election results as a boost for the national governing coalition. While the CDA lost 19 seats, the D66 and VVD saw significant gains, al...
Willem-Alexander and Máxima to stay overnight at White House during US working visit
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are visiting the United States for a meeting with President Donald Trump. During their working visit, the royal couple will dine and stay ove...
Chancellor welcomes Trump signals on Iran peace
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has welcomed signals from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting a possible end to hostilities with Iran. Merz also noted that such a development could provide an oppo...
Will FVD solve IJmuiden's problems? IJmuiden local Huib Stam critical of election victory
Huib Stam, a resident of IJmuiden, has written an opinion piece expressing criticism and skepticism following the election victory of the Forum for Democracy (FVD) party. He questions whether the part...