The Netherlands goes to the polls to elect 150 MPs for the lower house of parliament next week. Here’s a round up of the campaign news from March 11.

Prime minister and VVD leader Mark Rutte has told the Volkskrant in an election interview that the Netherlands must be prepared to close its borders if a new ‘refugee crisis’ like that of 2016 emerges.

He also defended the VVD’s wish to place approved refugees in special centres to oversee their integration into Dutch society. ‘I’m glad we can help them, but they need to realize that our values are non-negotiable,’ he told the paper.

‘The integration aspect has not been successful enough. We need to speak more proudly about our values,’ Rutte said. ‘Ultimately, you want refugees to be a success in this country. When I walk in town and a Syrian refugee tells me he has started a business and is so happy to be here … I think that’s fantastic.’

Rutte also said he would like to see a second nuclear power station being built in the Netherlands within the next 10 years to help achieve sustainable energy targets.

Local authorities

Local authority council Raad voor het Openbaar Bestuur is calling on the next government to change the way municipalities are financed, warning that without action there will be a further erosion of local democracy.

Two in three local authorities are in financial difficulty and the new jobs they have been given – such as youth social work and care of the elderly – are only adding to the problems, the ROB says.

Currently the bulk of local authority cash comes from national government, with the rest raised from local taxes. And this, the council says, means local authorities have little scope to make their own choices.

This article will be updated throughout the day

For full coverage of the general election, check out the special website section.