It is not often that one feels sympathy for the Dutch energy companies – what with their never-ending cries of ‘unfair’ and ‘help, the Europeans are coming (to take us over)’ while they knock up profits that would have many companies in the real world laughing all the way to the Bahamas (Nuon reported last month that its net income for the first six months was up 70%…). More >

It looks very much as if the forthcoming debate on the Schiphol detention centre fire is going to get nasty. Various newspapers this morning said the cabinet totally disagrees with the preliminary report’s findings which claims all sorts of fire regulations were broken at the centre where 11 people last year. More >

The election campaign has not even begun and all the big parties are falling over each other to bring in free créche places for all the country’s kids. The idea appears in most manifestos. The politicians obviously see it as a vote catcher. More >

So you come back from holiday and you check your mobile phone bill and it seems to be a bit high. So you download a detailed bill and discover you have apparently spent €33 on sending data to an unknown fax (with a 06 number) in the Netherlands. You’ve called this number 15 times, several times on one day. Strange how the number does not appear in your phone’s memory… but there you go. More >

The VVD’s election manifesto is a guaranteed headline grabber with its plans to scrap crèche fees, cut income tax by 3% across the board and give start-ups a three-year tax free break. More >