Africa
The Dutch government is expanding its response to Sudan's war, pledging additional funding for refugees in Chad and humanitarian aid while arguing that instability in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region is increasingly relevant to Europe. Exclusive reporting and analysis from The Hague. First month
Dutch politics
The Dutch prime minister has brushed off revelations that hundreds of social media posts linked to him and D66 were generated with artificial intelligence. But the controversy risks reopening a vulnerability that Rob Jetten has spent years trying to overcome: the perception that he is polished, scripted and not entirely
Africa
Diplomatic tensions between the Netherlands and Sierra Leone have escalated after Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel publicly renewed pressure on Freetown to hand over convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, better known as “Bolle Jos”. What was intended as a push to accelerate years of stalled cooperation has instead triggered
How much will the Netherlands ultimately need to spend to meet NATO's new spending pledge? And what happens if economic growth picks up again? New budget documents suggest the cost of reaching the alliance's 3.5% target may be lower than previously expected, but the longer-
NATO & Defense
The Netherlands is set to acquire a military capability it has never had before: its own airborne surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. The purchase, announced alongside a far-reaching cooperation agreement with Sweden, promises to give Dutch forces greater freedom to monitor threats ranging from drones and cruise missiles to suspicious
United States & Canada
As Washington presses ahead with sanctions against the International Criminal Court, the Dutch government is using the UN General Assembly to rally support for one of the institutions at the heart of The Hague's international identity. But officials in The Hague privately recognise that building a coalition of
Africa
Sudan's war is deepening, millions are displaced and international mediation efforts have yet to produce a ceasefire. A recent Dutch government assessment offers a glimpse into how The Hague views the conflict, the risks it poses for Europe and the limits of Western leverage. At the same time,
NATO & Defense
The Dutch cabinet’s push to give intelligence services broader powers to counter espionage, cyber threats and foreign interference appears to enjoy wide political backing in The Hague. But as the proposed overhaul of intelligence law enters public consultation, two key oversight bodies are issuing an unusually stark warning: the
As a nationwide transport strike brings large parts of the Netherlands to a standstill, the conflict over welfare reforms is showing little sign of easing. Although the Dutch minority cabinet has scrapped or postponed several planned social security cuts, unions insist the concessions do not go far enough, setting the
The latest on foreign policy, defence and politics from The Hague.
The European Union is preparing to open its market further to Armenian products after Russia imposed sweeping trade restrictions on key Armenian exports. The move is presented as a temporary economic lifeline, but it also reveals a broader geopolitical calculation in Brussels and European capitals: keeping Armenia anchored to Europe
A majority in the Dutch House of Representatives has again backed the government's sanctions regime targeting products from Israeli settlements, rejecting a series of motions aimed at delaying, reversing or narrowing the measures. Read on for the full story, including where Dutch political parties stand on the issue
For years, Dutch politicians, regional authorities and industry leaders have shared a common concern: what if ASML can no longer grow in the Netherlands? As construction begins on a major new campus near Eindhoven, the answer is becoming clear. From housing and infrastructure to energy and permits, the Dutch state
The Dutch government is injecting another €250 million into Ukraine's drone war effort and supplying additional ammunition for Kyiv's F-16 fleet, underscoring The Hague's view that sustained military support remains essential as Russia intensifies aerial attacks. But the new money comes with a
The funeral of Ratko Mladić has triggered an sharp response from both The Hague and Brussels, reopening painful memories of the Balkan wars and raising fresh questions about Serbia’s future inside the European project. With senior Serbian officials attending the ceremony and signs of official state support, European leaders
The Dutch government has defended the Ministry of Defence's most senior civil servant, Maarten Schurink, after right-wing and pro-Israel MP Gidi Markuszower and his colleagues questioned whether his leadership role at a cultural institution boycotting Israeli organisations is compatible with his position at the heart of
At a time when Europe is grappling with a more assertive Russia, growing pressure on critical infrastructure and mounting economic uncertainty, the Netherlands and Norway are drawing closer together. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre signed a new strategic partnership that goes beyond symbolic
For months, Dutch naval vessels waited on standby for a possible international mission to safeguard one of the world's most strategically important waterways. But despite continued military planning, The Hague now appears to be signalling that such an operation is not imminent. The Dutch government has decided to
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has expressed concern over the far-right AfD's breakthrough victory in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, warning that mainstream politicians must draw lessons from voters' dissatisfaction. His remarks come as Germany grapples with the implications of one of the strongest performances
A senior D66 foreign affairs MP, Hanneke van der Werf, has issued a clarifying statement after saying in a national television talk show that “we” may need to shoot at Russian launch installations ourselves if Ukraine is to survive another winter of Russian bombardment. The remarks quickly drew attention because
Dutch minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma used a recent visit to China to directly raise concerns about the treatment of the Uyghur minority, including allegations of forced labour in Xinjiang. The exchanges offer a rare glimpse into how the Dutch government is trying to balance mounting human rights concerns with its desire
The Netherlands has welcomed what it describes as a significant breakthrough in international efforts to regulate autonomous weapons systems, after 128 countries reached consensus on a document that could pave the way for future global rules on so-called “killer robots”. The agreement, reached overnight in Geneva under the framework
