Politics News in English

When voters act as politicians, it's not just about self-interest. The silent middle doesn't polarize and cares for the whole city

The article explores the perspectives of the "silent middle," a group of voters who prioritize community connection and collective well-being over political polarization. It suggests that when ordinar...

Reject the free beer

With only a few days remaining before the municipal elections, local political parties in both urban and rural areas are campaigning for seats on the council. This period has placed local politics in ...

Ukrainian refugees arrive Monday in Oud-IJmuiden. Top floor not in use by order of fire department

The first Ukrainian refugees are scheduled to arrive at a newly converted shelter in IJmuiden this Monday. Following a fire department inspection that prohibited the use of the top floor, the facility...

Amsterdam’s Jewish community is ‘Israelizing’ and it’s not happening quietly

Venezuela and Colombia hold high-level talks after Maduro capture

Officials from Venezuela and Colombia held high-level consultations in Caracas to discuss bilateral cooperation. The talks focused on key sectors including trade, tourism, energy, and security, accord...

President Trump replaces head of Kennedy Center

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Matt Floca will replace Richard Grenell as the head of the Kennedy Center in Washington. The news was shared via the social media platform Truth Social, conf...

Axios: Trump rejected Putin's offer on Iranian enriched uranium

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed transferring Iran's enriched uranium to Russia as part of a potential deal to end conflict in the Middle East. According to Axios, U.S. President Donald Trump...

PvdA politician Heinhuis: the brown cafe is officially intangible heritage

Lian Heinhuis, the PvdA faction chair in Amsterdam, announced that the traditional brown cafe has been officially added to the Dutch list of intangible heritage. The announcement was made during an ap...

Zelensky meets son of the last Shah of Iran

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, in Paris. During the meeting, Zelensky received updates from Pahlavi and his team regarding signals and ...

Red Cross sounds alarm over fate of civilians in Lebanon

The International Committee of the Red Cross has issued a warning regarding the worsening situation in Lebanon as civilians flee the escalating conflict. The organization highlighted the dire impact o...

JA21 campaigns against Weesperknijp: "Giving people a wake-up call"

The political party Ja21 organized a campaign on Amsterdam's Weesperstraat to protest the 'Weesperknijp' project, which aims to reduce car traffic and lower speed limits. Party leader Sytze Rijpkema c...

Hezbollah ready for long conflict with Israel

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem announced in a speech that the group is prepared for a prolonged conflict with Israel. This statement indicates the group's readiness for continued military engagement in ...

Local parties want more cabinet support for safety

Local political parties in the Netherlands are calling for increased support from the national cabinet to address security issues and police shortages. During a radio debate, representatives argued th...

Lionel Shriver's new novel is a paranoid, xenophobic fever dream

Delsen (SP): When people lose trust in politics, socialism is a beautiful answer

Angelo Delsen, the SP's lead candidate for the Amsterdam municipal elections, advocates for a socialist approach to restore public trust in politics. His key proposals include making public transport ...

Mayor of Heemskerk reports racist messages and theft of election signs to police: 'This is unacceptable'

Mayor Alexander Luijten of Heemskerk has notified the police regarding the theft and vandalism of election posters that were defaced with racist messages. He condemned the acts as unacceptable and con...

US: Up to $10 million for information on Khamenei

The United States government's Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for information regarding Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei and several key figures in his circle. In addition to...

Should the canal return to Haarlem’s Gedempte Oude Gracht, as in Zaandam? ‘If you want to ruin your city, you should do that’

Political parties in Haarlem are debating the restoration of the canal at the Gedempte Oude Gracht, mirroring a project completed in Zaandam in 2013. Experts who led the Zaandam initiative, including ...

At this polling station, people without voting rights can still make their voices heard: ‘This is the first time I’m going to vote’

Carlijn Trap (17): 'Many people at my school don't know what's going on in the municipality'

Seventeen-year-old Carlijn Trap from Hoofddorp is pursuing a career in politics, securing the fifth spot on the D66 party list for Haarlemmermeer. A former member of the local Youth Municipal Council,...

Owen Hendriks (19) has wanted to join the city council since he was 14: ‘I hope to get 250 to 300 preference votes’

Nineteen-year-old Owen Hendriks from Blokker aims to secure a seat in his local municipal council by achieving 250 to 300 preferential votes. His long-term political ambition is to eventually establis...

Sophie Basseleur (27): 'I want to tackle invisible poverty'

Sophie Basseleur, a 27-year-old from Volendam, is ranked second on the D66 candidate list for the Edam-Volendam municipality. The former GroenLinks member, who works in mental health and as an opticia...

Jordi Albers (24): 'Questioning assumptions and practices that older council members take for granted'

Jordi Albers, a 24-year-old politician, serves as the group chairman and lead candidate for the local party GBP in Purmerend. He also works as a council advisor in Zwijndrecht, emphasizing the importa...

Ziggy Overgaauw (20): ‘Acting as a bridge between the council and youth’

Ziggy Overgaauw, a 20-year-old Public Administration student in Amsterdam, is ranked second on the D66 party list in Den Helder. He aims to serve as a bridge between the local council and the youth to...

Karlijn Meester (17): It’s strange; you encourage people to vote while you aren’t allowed to yet

At 17 years old, Karlijn Meester is making her debut in local politics as a candidate for the CDA party in Medemblik. Although she is still too young to vote herself, the European Studies student aims...

Jaïr de Roeck (22) is running for the Zaan SP: ‘In some circles I don’t say I’m on the list’

Jaïr de Roeck, a 22-year-old student at the University of Amsterdam, is running as a candidate for the Socialist Party (SP) in the Zaanstad municipal elections. Positioned 12th on the list, he aims t...

Natasja Bunt (27): 'Important to look at subjects from a different perspective'

Natasja Bunt, a 27-year-old auditor from Eemnes, serves as a party member for the CDA political party. She discusses her long-standing interest in politics and highlights the importance of analyzing t...

Women and young people are a strong minority in municipal councils

Women and young people remain a significant minority in Dutch municipal councils, which are predominantly composed of men over fifty. The article features eight young candidates who share their motiva...

Building rules must be simplified, heard in election debate

During a radio debate ahead of the municipal elections, several candidates argued that simplifying building regulations is necessary to increase housing production. The candidates noted that while com...

US sends maritime reinforcements to the Middle East

The United States is deploying an additional 2,200 troops and several warships to the Middle East to bolster its presence in the region. The reinforcements include the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assau...