Dutch politics

New law gives Dutch intelligence agencies AIVD and MIVD more power, ministers point to growing threats from Russia, China and Iran

AIVD in Zoetermeer / photo: AIVD

The Dutch government wants to give its intelligence agencies far greater powers to act against suspected hackers, foreign intelligence services and terrorist networks, arguing that today's geopolitical and technological threats are evolving faster than existing oversight procedures can handle. But with memories of the controversial 2018 "sleepwet" referendum still fresh, the proposal is already likely to reignite a familiar debate: how much surveillance power should a democracy grant its spies?

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The Hague and Brussels raise concerns over India’s religious freedom bill targeting Christian organisations

Could a proposed change to India’s foreign funding rules further weaken the position of Christian organisations and other religious minorities? And how far is the Netherlands willing to go in pressing its concerns with one of its most important strategic partners? Responding to parliamentary questions from SGP MP Diederik

After Ukraine and Hormuz: why the Netherlands is developing a National Food Security Strategy

From the war in Ukraine to the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz: a series of international shocks has convinced the Dutch government that food security can no longer be taken for granted. The Netherlands is now joining a growing group of European countries that are preparing for disruptions

No budget deal yet: Dutch minority coalition still divided as opposition support remains uncertain and deadline looms

Can Prime Minister Rob Jetten's minority coalition still deliver a budget on time and secure the parliamentary support needed to survive, or are the first serious cracks in the cabinet beginning to show? With just days remaining before a crucial deadline, coalition negotiations have become increasingly chaotic, and

Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain reopen EU debate over billions in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine – but will it happen?

Can the European Union finally unlock billions in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine? As pressure mounts to secure long-term funding for Kyiv, the Foreign Ministers of Sweden, Spain, The Netherlands and Poland are forming a new coalition of member states to reopen one of the EU’s most contentious

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The Hague and Brussels raise concerns over India’s religious freedom bill targeting Christian organisations

After Ukraine and Hormuz: why the Netherlands is developing a National Food Security Strategy

No budget deal yet: Dutch minority coalition still divided as opposition support remains uncertain and deadline looms

Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain reopen EU debate over billions in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine – but will it happen?