Opinion

Opinion, columns, comment and blog links on all things Dutch

Barend van Lieshout: Healthcare fraud and spin Barend van Lieshout thinks insurers and the SP are using the hype surrounding the healthcare fraud for their own ends.

Annemarie van Gaal: When the inspectors keep calling Annemarie van Gaal thinks the last thing clothing factories in Bangladesh need is more inspectors.

Vermeend & Van der Ploeg: It's five to midnight on the economic Doomsday clock Vermeend & Van der Ploeg urge European leaders to follow the American example and stimulate the economy.

Youp van 't Hek: Staying power Youp van ‘t Hek was a fly on the wall in the bar where Frans Weekers and Fred Teeven were congratulating themselves on their staying power.

Selective feminism is the freedom to choose poverty Those who do not want to encourage women to go out and work are out and out cynics, according to Margriet van der Linden.

Jan-Maarten Slagter: Are investors too eager? Investors are holding on to shares for shorter periods of time. But does that mean they are too eager or focused on the short term?, asks Jan-Maarten Slagter

Annemarie van Gaal: Bulgarian benefit bonanza? We'll sort it out next year Annemarie van Gaal doesn't think junior finance minister Frans Weekers has the entrepreneurial touch when it comes to taking decisive action.

Neelie Kroes: 27 keys to open one door Neelie Kroes fears tailbacks on the digital highway will become a daily occurrence if investment continues to lag behind.

Break the taboo of shorter working hours Jobs are scarce and we should find ways to share and share alike, writes Wijnand Duyvendak

Greg Shapiro: The Orange Game - Go Around the Room and Spot What's Dutch Orange is cool and Dutch things are everywhere, even if we don't realise it, writes Greg Shapiro.

Neelie Kroes: Show them what you're made of Highlight the groundbreaking work women are doing in ICT and the multi-layered, bullet-proof glass ceiling may be shattered yet, says Neelie Kroes.

Boris Dittrich: The future is not in front of us, it is inside of us On the day the Netherlands commemorates those who died in World War II, Boris Dittrich remembers a gay member of the Dutch resistance, shot dead 70 years ago.

Youp van 't Hek: Royal after party Willem-Alexander tells Youp van ‘t Hek all about the big day over a few beers.

General character Remembrance Day is right for the times 'The ‘general character’ of May 4 is as it should be, fits in with the times and would be difficult to change, but we must never allow the Holocaust to be forgotten', writes Martijn Dekker

Jan Maarten Slagter: Putting stock in the royals The new King's Index is a bit of a mixed bag, writes Jan Maarten Slagter

Annemarie van Gaal: Shut that door! The Dutch are leaving the door open to Bulgarian benefits fraudsters. The system needs to be changed, says Annemarie van Gaal

Eelco Keij: Viva La Reina! With princess Máxima about to become a dual national queen, Eelco Keij hopes the government will modernise the rules on having more than one passport.

Annemarie van Gaal: Reward quick students Polytechnics are paid per student, per year and the system is creating lazy students, says Annemarie van Gaal.

Greg Shapiro: A terrible idea gone wonderfully right A Croatian, an intern and an American Nederlander may just be responsible for boosting the Frisian economy, writes Greg Shapiro.

Garry Piggott: Chain of fools Junior justice minister Fred Teeven sees refugees and asylum seekers as mere numbers on a conveyor belt that preferably leads right back to their home countries, writes Garry Piggott.

Robin Pascoe: Princess Amalia take note, no songs and no balloons Several things have already gone wrong with the preparations for king Willem-Alexander’s investiture. DutchNews.nl editor Robin Pascoe hopes his daughter Amalia will learn from the mistakes.

Greg Shapiro: An End to Austerity? Yes please - AND I'll turn off my lights too The Dutch are not mean - no, they are notoriously wasteful and love debt, says Greg Shapiro.

Barend van Lieshout: AbvaKabo FNV: no members and morally bankrupt as well Barend van Lieshout thinks the Abvakabo are putting on a show with the elderly as unwitting extras.

Garry Piggott: Crime can pay There is more than meets the eye to justice ministry plans to open up Dutch prisons to German criminals, says Garry Piggott.

Annemarie van Gaal: The sorry men Annemarie van Gaal has no patience with bankers who say sorry, especially incompetent ones

Greg Shapiro: Car pooling? Amsterdam will punish you Doing your bit for the environment while cutting your bills? Sharing a car is not the cheaper option that Greg Shapiro thought it would be.

Wall Street Journal: It's 2013. Abolish the Dutch Monarchy. In my country, one family has a monopoly on the position of head of state. No, I'm not from North Korea, but from the Netherlands, where after 30 years on the throne, Queen Beatrix of Orange will abdicate at the end of this month to her son Willem-Alexander.

Neelie Kroes: Blueprint or template, it's the truth that counts Neelie Kroes thinks Dijsselbloem's message has been wilfully distorted by people with their own agendas.

Annemarie van Gaal: Senatorial spring clean The electoral system is due for a good spring clean, says Annemarie van Gaal

International business: Netherlands has more to offer than letterboxes The Netherlands is an attractive option for international companies but not always for the right reasons, says Ed de Groot

The Dijsselbloem doctrine The Dijsselbloem doctrine could be the way to a fairer, more robust financial system, says economist Rens van Tilburg

Neelie Kroes: 'Be creative and fearless' Europe has the potential to become another Silicon Valley, writes Neelie Kroes.

The price of the eurogroup chair Finding a suitable person to chair EU meetings is very difficult. No wonder Germany wanted Jeroen Dijsselbloem. But he may not be the best choice as far as the Netherlands is concerned, writes Adriaan Schout.

Citizens forum: Give us a referendum on Europe There are two options: either we stop handing over more powers to Brussels or we let the people speak via a referendum, says the citizens' forum's Joost Niemöller et al.

Wouter Bos: CDA and populism don't go together Things aren’t going very well for the CDA, writes Wouter Bos. The Christian Democrats would do well to reconsider their populist opposition strategy.

Greg Shapiro: The underemployed, the out of work and the bankrupt. As the Dutch government grapples with redundancy reform and employment rules, Greg Shapiro's been checking out the fortunes of his expat connections.

Youp van 't Hek: Shut up, Karin Youp van ‘t Hek had a thing with Karin but says she doesn’t understand him.

Huff Post blogger: Let's Speak Up for the Netherlands' Accidental Hero Tarek al-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi was someone who proved that the actions of one man can often alter the course of history.

TA: Gosh they just love democracy in the PvdA, don't they Faced with fewer people voting, growing disenchantment with government, not to mention the need for more votes, the PvdA is doing its best to bring politics back to the people, according to blog This Amsterdam.

Annemarie van Gaal: Stop pampering part-timers Women who want the top job should work full-time but should also be able to hire a tax deductable housekeeper, writes Annemarie van Gaal

Neelie Kroes: 'You are mad. GO! AWAY!' and other inbox gems Cyber bullies are sad sacks who can do a lot of harm, but bullying should not be a reason to ban children from using the internet, says Neelie Kroes

Made in Israel? The Netherlands should be at the forefront of an EU movement to ban produce from the Palestinian occupied territories, writes Jaap Hamburger

Greg Shapiro: no subsidy for you The bankruptcy of Time Out Amsterdam, Buckler beer, arts subsidies, slums and round circles all have a role in this week's column.

A ban on circumcision won't ban circumcision Columnist Jean Wagemans analyses the discussion on a potential ban on circumcision for boys and concludes that a ban wouldn’t make any difference.

Annemarie van Gaal: Opting in and out of pensions Dutch pension funds could do with more supervision and should also give employers a break, writes Annemarie van Gaal

The Age: After Wilders trip, multicultural Australia can take a bow It was a good thing that Geert Wilders, the controversial Dutch politician, came to visit Australia last week. Because sometimes we need to be reminded that living in a liberal democracy isn't always easy or edifying.

Ton Planken: Politicians, stop blabbing and start handing out some money Former political correspondent Ton Planken thinks it's about time the government started giving those who have been hardest hit by the crisis some hope for the future in the shape of a rise in salary.

Wouter Bos: Is Rutte II too rigid or too weak? Columnist Wouter Bos distinguishes two schools of thought among journalists about Rutte’s second cabinet, which he helped to build. One, it’s a complete shambles, and two, its consensus-driven policies are ambitious and admirable.

Neelie Kroes: Women, don't stay for the money, make some yourselves Women should be independent financially and ICT offers plenty of opportunities, writes Neelie Kroes

Home care or care home: the elderly decide Care for the elderly is going to change but it won't be an Armageddon for the old, says Barend van Lieshout