Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Nigerian killed during anti-immigration protests in South Africa
Two Nigerian citizens have been killed in South Africa during recent anti-immigration protests, with reports suggesting one of the victims was shot by police. The Nigerian government has formally requ...
Volt EU: decide on European Security Council at NATO summit
Dutch Member of the European Parliament Reinier van Lanschot and a coalition of European colleagues are urging attendees of the upcoming NATO summit to establish a European Security Council. This prop...
Halving of subsidy threatens future of Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek: 'Only in the Bollenstreek are we just scraping by'
The Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek foundation is facing a significant budget cut, with subsidies nearly halving for 2026 and 2027. Consequently, the organization has warned that activities such as th...
Minister Sjoerdsma to China to strengthen trade relations
Dutch Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma is traveling to China for a three-day trade mission accompanied by seventeen companies from the Netherlands. This visit occurs five years after Beijing placed Sjoerdsma...
Vayhishta Miskin (Bij1) lost her board seat in Southeast: ‘There are so many egos in the civil service – they hold a lot back’
Vaccination pace depended on strategy simplicity, says former RIVM official
Former RIVM program director Jaap van Delden testified before a parliamentary inquiry committee that the simplicity of the vaccination strategy was crucial to maintaining speed during the COVID-19 pan...
UN Human Rights Council calls for urgent investigation into situation in El-Obeid
The United Nations Human Rights Council has called for an urgent investigation into the situation in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid. The city is currently under siege by the paramilitary group RSF, rai...
Animal rights activists call new wolf regulations hot air
Animal rights activists are threatening legal action against new government regulations that make it easier for provinces to authorize shooting wolves in the event of human attacks. State Secretary Si...
Former RIVM director felt 'enormous pressure' regarding vaccination rates
Former RIVM vaccination director Jaap van Delden testified before a parliamentary committee that he felt significant pressure regarding the Netherlands' vaccination rates compared to other countries. ...
Provinces allowed to intervene faster with wolves: human safety comes first
Provinces in the Netherlands welcome new regulations that allow for faster intervention in response to wolf-related incidents. Officials emphasize that human safety remains the top priority, particula...
Brussels sends four firefighting aircraft to help France with forest fires
The European Commission has organized four firefighting aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden to assist France in battling wildfires in the southern part of the country. The planes are scheduled to arrive i...
Hamas dissolves its administration in Gaza Strip
Hamas has announced the dissolution of its governing body in the Gaza Strip, a position it has held for approximately two decades. This move is intended to facilitate the implementation of a peace pla...
Macron expresses solidarity with wildfire victims
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his solidarity with those affected by wildfires in southern France, which have led to the evacuation of thousands of people. He also thanked emergency se...
RIVM vaccination director: no plan B prepared for vaccinations
Jaap van Delden, the former RIVM vaccination program director, testified that no contingency plan existed for administering COVID-19 vaccinations when it became clear that general practitioners could ...
VVD council member Dennis Kornet wants Haarlem to stop being the capital of paternalism: 'Snack bar ban? My heart bleeds'
VVD council member Dennis Kornet has called for an end to restrictive policies in Haarlem, such as bans on snack bars. He argues that the city should prioritize entrepreneurial freedom to restore its ...
UN chief on AI: development faster than we can keep up
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that artificial intelligence is developing at a pace that humanity cannot keep up with. He is calling for the implementation of international regulati...
COVID inquiry with top official: 'De Jonge was simply very ambitious'
The Dutch parliamentary inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic continues this week, focusing on vaccination campaigns and the implementation of COVID access passes. High-ranking health officials testified...
Watch: Corona hearing with former RIVM director on vaccinations
A former RIVM director and a senior official from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport are testifying this week regarding COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and the use of digital health passes. Thes...
Risk areas growing larger and more dangerous every year: how France is trying to combat recurring summer wildfires
France is facing an increasing number of large and dangerous forest fires due to extreme weather conditions, which started earlier than usual this year. The government is currently deploying all avail...
Red card affair is a major scandal: Trade minister launched offensive, Trump 'fixed it' with Infantino
The suspension of the top scorer of the US national team during the 2026 World Cup was overturned following an intervention by the White House. This decision has sparked widespread outrage and disbeli...
Funeral procession for Ali Khamenei begins in Tehran
The funeral procession for Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei began Monday morning in Tehran, drawing a massive crowd according to Iranian state broadcaster Irib. Khamenei died at the start of the co...
Death toll in Kyiv rises following Russian airstrikes
Russian missile strikes on Kyiv between Sunday and Monday have resulted in the deaths of at least ten people. Ukrainian authorities confirmed the casualties following the overnight attack.
Historical Society remains opposed to new development at Van Merlelaan 23: 'Too many deviations from environmental plan'
The Historische Vereniging Heemstede-Bennebroek is opposing a new construction project at Van Merlelaan 23 in Heemstede. They argued during a hearing that the project deviates significantly from the m...
Underground parking garage in the heart of Zandvoort scrapped, CDA initiator is stunned and won't let it go
The municipal executive of Zandvoort has rejected plans for an underground parking garage beneath Favaugeplein, deeming the project unfeasible. The CDA, which initiated the proposal, expressed signifi...
Australian Prime Minister apologizes for sexual comments about Kylie Minogue
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an apology for inappropriate remarks he made about pop star Kylie Minogue during a podcast appearance. The Prime Minister expressed regret after s...
More housing and traffic safety, less vacancy and nuisance. These are Heemskerk's plans for the next four years
The new coalition in Heemskerk, consisting of Heemskerk Lokaal, Hart voor Heemskerk, and CDA, has announced its plans for the next four years. Their priorities include increasing housing production, i...
Future of SRO at risk, say Haarlem and Velsen councilors: 'Concerns about survival'
Dozens of council members from Haarlem and Velsen have expressed concerns regarding the future of the municipal sports company SRO following a multi-million euro fraud scandal discovered in late June....
Return of nursing homes falters: cabinet allocates over 400 million
The Dutch government is allocating 420 million euros to accelerate the construction of elderly care housing. This initiative addresses the growing number of seniors who are unable to live at home and ...
Ukraine and Russia report reciprocal attacks
Ukrainian authorities reported Russian ballistic missile strikes targeting the capital city of Kyiv overnight. Officials confirmed the attacks occurred between Sunday and Monday.
Egypt opens expensive military headquarters larger than the Pentagon
Egypt has inaugurated its new military headquarters, known as the Octagon, which features eight buildings spanning 90 square kilometers. This massive complex surpasses the size of the Pentagon in Wash...