Europe & EU
A sudden migrant surge at Spain's southern frontier has triggered an coordinated response from the EU capitals. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and 21 fellow European leaders are now demanding an emergency meeting of EU interior ministers, warning that the events in Ceuta could undermine confidence in the
Summer Briefings
Every Saturday and Sunday this summer, The Hague Insider publishes a special Summer Briefing, taking a deep dive into the politicians, companies and policy issues shaping The Hague, Brussels and beyond. Today: Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen. From Israel and Iran to NATO, Europe, Syria and the future of the
Europe & EU
As tens of thousands of migrants cross from Morocco into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, alarm is spreading across European capitals. In The Hague, ministers are scrambling to respond to a crisis unfolding hundreds of kilometres away but with potentially significant consequences for Dutch politics, migration policy and the future
Africa
From discreet support for Russian journalists to multi‑million euro investments in Gaza, Congo and China, a new Foreign Ministry report offers a rare, detailed look at how the Netherlands is putting its human rights policy into practice. But behind the long list of projects lies a stark reality: shrinking
Summer Briefings
Every Saturday and Sunday this summer, The Hague Insider publishes a special Summer Briefing, taking a deep dive into the politicians, companies and policy issues shaping The Hague, Brussels and beyond. Today: Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten — the Netherlands' first D66 prime minister, the country's youngest-ever
Africa
For more than a year, the Dutch government has been deploying every diplomatic tool at its disposal to bring convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers — better known as “Bolle Jos” — back to the Netherlands. Direct talks with Sierra Leone have yielded little. Attempts to rally European support for financial pressure have
Ukraine
Twelve years after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, the Netherlands is still pursuing justice on multiple legal fronts. International courts have increasingly concluded that Russia bears responsibility for the disaster, yet compensation, full accountability and any form of admission
United States & Canada
As political pressure on the International Criminal Court intensifies from multiple directions, the Dutch government has now taken a clear position in one of the most consequential crises in the Court's history. Ahead of a decisive vote by the ICC's member states on 24 July, The
Africa
The death toll is rising at an alarming pace, the World Health Organization fears thousands of infections may still be undetected, and international funding remains under pressure. As the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa escalates, the Dutch government is stepping up its contribution — but health officials warn the crisis could
Africa
It remains uncertain whether the Dutch embassy in Juba, South Sudan, will stay open. The prospect of closure has raised concerns in the Dutch House of Representatives and among humanitarian organizations due to the deteriorating situation in South Sudan. New parliamentary answers reveal that the government is, for now, sticking
United States & Canada
A new offensive from Washington against the International Criminal Court is triggering growing alarm in both The Hague and Brussels. As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accuses the ICC and its supporters of waging a “war” against America, Dutch and European officials are responding with increasingly sharp language of
Dutch politics
What happens if Washington goes beyond symbolic measures and launches a full-scale campaign against the International Criminal Court in The Hague? That question is increasingly dominating conversations behind closed doors in The Hague, according to diplomatic and legal insiders, after the Trump administration signalled it is prepared to use