Politics News in English

View all 2026 municipal election results here tonight

The Netherlands will hold its municipal elections on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Voters across the country will head to the polls to elect local council representatives, with results expected to be ann...

You can vote here

Municipal elections are being held this Wednesday, with polling stations open for voters from 7:30 AM until 9:00 PM. Information is provided to help citizens locate their nearest polling station to pa...

Toos & Henk - March 18

Cartoonist Paul Kusters creates the daily comic strip Toos & Henk from Monday through Saturday. The series offers his unique perspective on current events and news.

Beverwijk grants permit for Ankie’s Hoeve: 210 homes surrounded by industry and busy roads

The municipality of Beverwijk has granted an environmental permit for the construction of 210 apartments on the site of the former Ankie’s Hoeve children's farm. Due to the project's proximity to in...

Which party will enter the city council? Read the latest election news for the Haarlem region

A live blog provides updates and news regarding the municipal elections in the Haarlem region. It tracks which political parties will earn seats in the local city council.

What went wrong at Blekersduin? Labor Party asks council questions over halted housing construction in Santpoort-Zuid

The PvdA political party in Velsen has raised concerns regarding the suspension of a 40-unit social housing project in Santpoort-Zuid. They are seeking clarification on why the construction was halted...

Few parties with only female candidates on the ballot

An analysis of Dutch municipal election data shows that very few political parties feature exclusively female candidates on their ballots. While 95 parties consist only of men, only four parties with ...

King Willem-Alexander in Antilles for Aruba anniversary

King Willem-Alexander arrived in Aruba on Wednesday to celebrate the island's 40th anniversary of autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the 50th anniversary of its national symbols. The K...

Deaths in Israeli strikes in central Beirut

At least six people were killed and 24 others injured following two Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut on Wednesday morning. Lebanese authorities provided these figures as part of a preliminary asse...

Good turnout for overnight voting in several municipalities

Nighttime voting in several Dutch municipalities saw a high turnout, with The Hague reporting more voters by 1:00 AM than during the entire night of the 2018 elections. A spokesperson for the municipa...

US uses bunker busters against locations near Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. military deployed 2,300kg bunker bombs to target fortified Iranian rocket bases along the coast near the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM reported that the operation was successful and involved the ...

JA21 parliamentary leader Kreuger files report for assault

Kevin Kreuger, the JA21 party leader in Amsterdam, filed a police report for assault following an incident on Tuesday night. The Amsterdam branch of the political party announced the filing of the rep...

Cabinet faces multi-billion shortfall, wants motorists and businesses to help pay for infrastructure

The Dutch cabinet is exploring ways to have motorists and businesses contribute to infrastructure funding to address a multi-billion euro deficit. Proposed measures include bridge tolls and tax increa...

Israel reports deaths from Iranian attacks near Tel Aviv

Two people were killed near Tel Aviv during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday following Iranian attacks. Israeli authorities reported that debris from projectiles fell in the area, leading to th...

De Mos denies hiring non-Dutch-speaking flyer distributors

Richard de Mos, leader of Hart voor Den Haag, has denied allegations that his party hired non-Dutch-speaking individuals to distribute campaign flyers. The controversy arose following a video from the...

First polling stations open at midnight

The first polling stations for municipal elections in the Netherlands will open at midnight in cities including Arnhem, Den Haag, and Zwolle. Most other voting locations are scheduled to open at 7:30 ...

Wilders under no illusions about local elections

PVV leader Geert Wilders expressed modest expectations for his party's performance in the upcoming municipal elections, noting they are only competing in about forty municipalities. Following a final ...

CDA Doetinchem asks national politicians to watch their language

Jeroen Berends, the lead candidate for CDA Doetinchem, has called on national politicians to mind their language, arguing that their rhetoric contributes to the intimidation of local council members. ...

Revolutionary Guard confirms death of Basij leader Soleimani

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has confirmed that Gholamreza Soleimani, the leader of the paramilitary Basij movement, was killed during US-Israeli attacks. Soleimani's organization is notably respon...

US instructs embassies worldwide to review security

The U.S. State Department has ordered American embassies worldwide to immediately review their security measures in response to the conflict in Iran. This directive follows similar instructions previo...

StemWijzer completed nearly 2.3 million times since launch

The StemWijzer voting aid has been used nearly 2.3 million times since its launch a month ago for the Dutch municipal elections. The tool is available in 258 municipalities and is expected to see high...

Jetten: Antisemitism not only among Muslims, points to FVD

Dutch leader Rob Jetten stated on the television program 'Eva' that antisemitism exists across all layers of society rather than being limited to specific groups. He specifically pointed to the politi...

Preserving bulb fields while creating more housing: the choices for young people in Hillegom

Ahead of the municipal elections on March 18, Hillegom is debating how to retain its young population amidst a housing shortage and an aging demographic. Key issues include deciding whether to preserv...

It’s time! Haarlem heads to the polls, read all about the council elections here

Residents of Haarlem are heading to the polls this Wednesday to elect a new city council following a lengthy campaign. Approximately 129,000 eligible voters will determine which 39 candidates will sec...

What we as a polarized society can learn from the Bijlmer

Poor state of Kolenkitbuurt housing is an opportunity to reach residents behind closed doors

Where are we voting tomorrow? These are the 7 most unique polling stations in the Netherlands

The Dutch municipal elections are scheduled for Wednesday, featuring several unique voting locations across the country. Voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots in unconventional settings, s...

Zelensky: More than 200 Ukrainian drone experts in Middle East

President Zelensky announced that over 200 Ukrainian drone experts have been deployed to the Middle East to help defend against Iranian Shahed drones. These drones are also used extensively by Russia ...

Minister: Canceling American VAT system contract will cost money

State Secretary Eelco Eerenberg warned that terminating the contract with the American firm Fast Enterprises for the new Dutch VAT IT system would result in legal and financial repercussions. The gove...

Groningen measures against collisions with small wind turbines

The province of Groningen is introducing measures to reduce bird and bat collisions with small wind turbines. These measures include potentially shutting down the turbines at night during the month of...