Sunday 07 August 2022

'The Netherlands cannot do without Rutte': what the papers say

'The Netherlands cannot do without Rutte': what the papers say

Mark Rutte is now the longest serving prime minister the Netherlands has ever had and the Dutch papers have been busy trying to find out what makes him tick. With 4,310 days to 4,309, Rutte has outserved CDA big beast Ruud Lubbers by exactly one day.  Both men faced challenging crises during their tenures but, says former CDA minister and party chair Bert de Vries, their legacies will be very different. ‘He [Lubbers] led the country through the crisis of... More >

Delays in childcare benefit scandal payout

Delays in childcare benefit scandal payout

Victims of the childcare benefits scandal are unlikely to be helped until 2025 or 2026 unless they go to court, reports the Volkskrant. More than 280 people have not had their requests handled within the legal maximum of a year and, the paper reports, if they go to court, they are likely to win because this rule has been breached. Because of the lack of resources in the UHT help team, the paper predicts, parents taking legal action will be... More >

Help dries up for people in Limburg floods

Help dries up for people in Limburg floods

The government has not lived up to its promises to support people affected by flash floods in Limburg last year, according to the national ombudsman. Studies showed that flash flooding caused even more damage than previous flood years of 1993 and 1995, and prime minister Mark Rutte declared the situation a national disaster. Although this meant that people whose damage would not be covered by insurance could in theory get some financial help from the government, this has still not... More >

Bomb threat to Leeuwarden politicians

Bomb threat to Leeuwarden politicians

A bomb threat at the provincial town hall in Leeuwarden, where a meeting was going on, was resolved without issue. Councillors and civil servants were taken to a safe place in the building after a ‘credible’ bomb threat on Wednesday. The AD reports that a man with explosives was said to be on the way, citing Friesland provincial councillor Jaap Stalenburg. The building was closed off for several hours, reportedly with around 140 or 150 people inside, in a cellar... More >

Report to police on FvD farmer speech

Report to police on FvD farmer speech

Gideon van Meijeren, an MP for the Forum for Democracy, has been reported to the police for allegedly inciting violence in a speech to farmers earlier this month, reports NOS. He reportedly told a ‘Boeren Forum’ meeting in Tiel on Saturday July 2 that it is ‘important to realise that it is not always healthy if there is a taboo on the use of violence’, in a film put on social media. ‘The state uses violence, considerable violence,’ he reportedly... More >

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