We throw the spotlight on the bureaucratic vices of intransigence and incompetence in this week’s podcast. We take an in-depth look at the parliamentary inquiry into the child benefits system, which left thousands of families financially and emotionally ruined when they were wrongly tagged as fraudsters. There’s a whole lot of voting going on as Forum voor Democratie hold a referendum on Thierry Baudet’s leadership and the annual celebration of shopping-mall wallpaper that is the Top 2000 kicks off. We also ask if Dick Lawyer is really retiring to spend more time with his chickens and who will win the tug-of-love contest for the Netherlands’ last surviving circus elephant.

Want to support the DutchNews podcast and keep our stocks of dog food, gin and stroopwafels healthy? Click here to become a Patreon backer

Ophef of the week: New Christmas lights regulations spread festive gloom in Amsterdam

Coronavirus news

Ministers tackle prickly issue of how to celebrate Christmas safely

Mayor calls for nationwide approach after Black Friday triggers early shop closures

Face masks become compulsory, testing extended to people without symptoms

Administrative blunder means wardens can’t issue face mask fines for two weeks

Why are some people in the Netherlands opposed to a Covid vaccine?

Other news

FVD board organise ‘in or out’ referendum on Thierry Baudet’s leadership

Rutte followed by four women on VVD list of election candidates (RTL, Dutch)

Appeal for 70,000 election volunteers to make voting Covid safe

Legal dispute looms over final destination for retired circus elephant

Click here for details of how to vote in the Top 2000 poll (NPO, Dutch)

And here for details of how to sign up as an election volunteer (government website)

Sport

Onana blunder leaves Ajax needing to win final Champions League group game

PSV progress to Europa League knockout stages, AZ and Feyenoord still in hunt

Advocaat to leave Feyenoord at end of season: ‘This time it’s real’ (AD, Dutch)

News special: the Belastingdienst child tax fraud scandal

All the parliamentary inquiry hearings from the ‘unheard official’ to Rutte (NOS)

Hoekstra: It felt as if the back of the house was on fire (NOS)

How the tax office cause major financial problems for families (RTL)

Parents handed blacked-out dossiers: ‘I still don’t know what I did wrong’ (NOS)

NRC Haagse Zaken podcast: What you need to take away from the benefits scandal