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The Dutch government’s crisis is still ongoing. Two days ago, one of the three governing parties voted against its own cabinet’s budget. Now, coalition leaders are meeting intensively this weekend to decide if the government can continue. As of Saturday, the outcome is still unclear.

What is happening now

On Saturday, leaders of the three coalition parties (D66, VVD, and CDA) met again for crisis talks at De Zwaluwenberg, an estate near Hilversum. This location is symbolic because it is often used for cabinet formations and is where this coalition was formed earlier this year.

Six people are at the table: Prime Minister Rob Jetten and parliamentary leader Jan Paternotte for D66; deputy prime minister and party leader Dilan Yesilgoz and parliamentary leader Ruben Brekelmans for the VVD; and deputy prime minister Bart van den Brink and party leader Henri Bontenbal for the CDA. This meeting comes after more than eight hours of talks on Friday at the Ministry of General Affairs, which did not resolve the crisis. Jetten cancelled a planned trip to the Caribbean (Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten) because of the situation. He said the parties would have “fundamental talks” this weekend to improve things on substantive, political, and personal levels.

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How the crisis began

The conflict started last week over the 2027 tax plan. Budget talks had stalled, so D66 and the CDA made a deal with the left-wing opposition parties Pro and Volt to get a majority. This deal shifted about 1 billion euros of tax from labour to wealth. The VVD only found out after the deal was made and said it had been “ambushed,” calling for a “fundamental reset.” On Thursday, the tax plan passed the Tweede Kamer by just two votes, 76 to 74, with the VVD voting against its own cabinet’s budget.

The two camps

Instead of calming down after the vote, the dispute has become more intense. On Friday, right after Jetten called for a “serious restart,” Yesilgoz made the VVD’s position much tougher. She called the minority cabinet a “failed experiment,” said it could not go on like this, and demanded that D66 and the CDA stop working with the left. She wants a real change in direction, away from what she sees as too left-wing, and has suggested that another right-wing party might need to join the cabinet.

Meanwhile, D66 and the CDA have refused to drop their tax deal and have said they want to keep governing with the VVD. Officials from both parties say they were surprised by how firm Yesilgoz’s position was and are not sure if the VVD really wants to make a deal. As one Dutch outlet put it, two camps are now facing each other, and no one can predict the outcome of the weekend’s talks.

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What is at stake, and what happens next

The main question now is whether the coalition can rebuild enough trust to continue or if the cabinet will fall. If the three parties cannot agree, the government could collapse, likely leading to early elections. These might be held at the same time as the provincial and water-authority elections already set for 17 March 2027. There is also a practical issue: the tax plan, although passed by the Tweede Kamer, still needs approval from the Eerste Kamer (the Senate) before the end of the year, where the coalition does not have a majority.

For now, the government is still in office, but observers say there is still a sense of crisis. The talks at De Zwaluwenberg are Jetten’s attempt to keep his cabinet together. It should become clear in the next hours or days whether these talks succeed.

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The Netherlands is known for paving over its gardens, and this reputation isn’t without reason. Over a third of Dutch gardens are at least half covered in paving, so it’s easy to mistake a typical backyard for a small car park. However, a national competition has been working to change this for several years, and this year it celebrated a new record-breaking winner.

The Hague takes the Golden Tile

The contest, called NK Tegelwippen or the Dutch National Tile-Flipping Championship, has municipalities competing to remove the most paving tiles and replace them with plants. This year, The Hague won the Gouden Tegel (Golden Tile) for removing a record 507,436 tiles. That’s about the same as turning 6.5 football pitches from pavement to green space, beating the previous record of 461,850 set by Arnhem in 2023. The Hague had also won this title in 2021 and 2022, making this year a comeback.

Both local people and the city government took part in the effort. In The Hague, residents, schools, sports clubs, and businesses together removed about 150,000 tiles on their own. The city handled the other 350,000 tiles in public spaces, as part of projects like making Plein 1813 greener and updating quays and sewers.

Smaller towns were also recognised. The Gouden Schep (Golden Spade) is a separate prize for the most tiles removed per thousand residents. This year, Venlo won it for the third year in a row in the large-municipality category, along with Terneuzen and Halderberge.

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Why flipping tiles matters

There’s a serious reason behind the fun competition: cities need to adapt to climate change. Heavy rain is happening more often, and sewers can’t always keep up, which leads to flooded streets and basements. When paving is replaced with soil and plants, rainwater can soak into the ground, whether in a garden or a small planted strip by the pavement, which helps take pressure off the drains.

Plants also help cool cities. A garden with greenery can be 5 to 10 degrees cooler than one with tiles. Research from Wageningen University & Research shows that one tree in a garden can cool as much as ten air conditioners. There are health benefits too: research by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found that people living in green neighbourhoods visit their doctor 20 to 25 percent less often for issues like depression, anxiety, and migraines compared to those in less green areas. Plus, plants attract birds, butterflies, and bees.

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A competition built on play

One reason the championship works so well is its relaxed approach. Besides the municipal rankings, there’s a “Flipper of the Month” (Wipper van de Maand) award. In May, it went to Hugo Stap from Zeist, who was filmed happily admiring the new lavender and catnip in his front garden. Stap removed about 200 tiles and plans to work on his backyard next year. “There’s still some flipping to be done. So next year there will be plenty of flipping again,” he said with a smile.

25 million tiles, and counting

The results are impressive. Just this season, 4,827,062 tiles were flipped. Since the championship started in 2020, the total has passed 25 million, with 25,305,598 tiles now removed and replaced with plants.

The competition was supposed to end this year. But because it’s been so popular and successful, the organisers have decided to bring it back for at least two more years, in 2027 and 2028. This gives Dutch towns more time to lift up their pavements and, quite literally, let their cities breathe.

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Amsterdam is already one of the world’s most expensive cities for overnight stays, and it’s about to get pricier. On Thursday, the city council approved the 2027 budget, which includes a significant increase in the tourist tax, despite strong protests from hotels, restaurants, and cultural institutions.

What was decided

As part of the 2027 budget, the city will raise the tourist tax (toeristenbelasting) on overnight stays from 12.5 percent to 16 percent starting in January 2027. The measure passed because the governing coalition of the left-wing PRO and centrist D66, led by Mayor Femke Halsema, supported the plan and hold a majority on the council.

This is just the beginning. The coalition plans to increase the tax by one percentage point each year until it reaches 20 percent by the end of its term. The city estimates the increase will bring in about 60 million euros next year and around 75 million by 2030. Any further rise beyond 16 percent is not final and will depend on future decisions.

The overall tax burden is already high. Amsterdam’s tourist tax was steep compared to other European cities, and a separate VAT increase on accommodation (from 9 to 21 percent) earlier this year pushed the total tax on an overnight stay to about 33.5 percent.

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Curbing over-tourism

The coalition’s main goal is to manage the large number of visitors. Even with the current tax, Amsterdam saw a record 21 million tourists last year, which overwhelmed residents in the busiest neighbourhoods. Halsema said curbing over-tourism is essential. Alderman Melanie van der Horst said the extra revenue is needed for practical issues like waste collection, and that it’s fair for tourists to help pay for services like rubbish removal. She also cited city research showing the tax will reduce visitor numbers without hurting city finances. The city also presents the tourist tax as a way to avoid raising taxes for Amsterdam residents, such as property tax (OZB) and the waste levy.

The objections

The decision moved forward despite strong criticism. In an open letter, 47 industry leaders, including hospitality entrepreneur Won Yip and outgoing Corendon chief Gunay Uslu, warned that higher prices would push visitors to stay overnight outside Amsterdam but still visit the city during the day, spending less money there. They argued this could seriously harm cultural venues, events, and hospitality businesses, many of which have struggled since the pandemic.

The cultural sector had a specific concern: higher accommodation costs make it harder to attract international artists and speakers. The Holland Festival, for example, said about 90 percent of its invited creators come from abroad, so higher VAT and tourist taxes directly affect its artistic budget, forcing them to either cut programming or raise ticket prices.

Right-wing opposition parties also objected. The VVD said the coalition had not properly considered the negative effects of the increase. VVD councillor Myron von Gerhardt argued the higher tax would drive away the tourists the city wants, while not deterring disruptive visitors “who bother residents and make a lot of noise.” He even suggested it could lead to more low-spending “hang-around tourists.” He questioned whether the real goal was fewer visitors or just more revenue. Along with the CDA and JA21, the VVD proposed a fixed charge of 14.50 euros per person per night, which they said would target the most financially able and least disruptive visitors, like business travellers. That proposal and other opposition efforts were voted down, so the 16 percent rate remains.

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What it means

For visitors, this means hotel or short-stay bookings in Amsterdam will cost more starting in January. In the ongoing debate about mass tourism in the city, this vote is another move in the city’s strategy to use higher prices to reduce crowds. Critics argue this will mostly change where tourists stay, not whether they visit.

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Thursday night was one of the most dramatic in recent Dutch politics. After a tense day, the Tweede Kamer (the lower house of parliament) narrowly approved the 2027 tax plan. Two of the three governing parties passed it with help from the left-wing opposition, despite strong objections from the third. This outcome has left Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s minority cabinet deeply divided and its future uncertain.

The vote

The tax plan (Belastingplan 2027) passed by just 76 votes to 74, the narrowest possible majority in the 150-seat chamber. In a roll-call vote, where each member stated their position, D66 and CDA joined left-wing and smaller parties, Pro, Volt, 50PLUS, the Partij voor de Dieren (PvdD), ChristenUnie, and DENK, in supporting the plan. Among those voting against were the VVD, PVV, SP, Forum voor Democratie (FvD), and Groep-Markuszower.

Notably, the VVD, one of the three governing parties, voted against its own cabinet’s budget. This means the VVD’s own finance minister, Eelco Heinen, now has to implement the plan.

How it came to this

The crisis began the day before. Budget talks had stalled for weeks, and the minority coalition of D66, VVD, and CDA had only 66 of 150 seats. To secure a majority, D66 and CDA made a deal with opposition parties Pro and Volt. The agreement shifts about 1 billion euros in tax revenue from labour to wealth. It sets a higher rate in “box 3” (for income from savings and investments) on returns above 60,000 euros a year, taxed at 38.5 percent, while the basic rate drops slightly from 36 to 35.5 percent. Pro leader Jesse Klaver called it a breakthrough, saying the Netherlands would get a “millionaires’ tax.”

Importantly, the VVD was not involved in the deal and only learned about it afterward. Earlier, the three coalition parties had agreed to what some called an “open marriage,” letting them seek majorities and vote differently. D66 and CDA said this was in line with that agreement, but the VVD felt blindsided and argued the changes broke the coalition deal.

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The VVD’s fury, and an unusual rebuke

The VVD reacted quickly and angrily. Party leader Dilan Yesilgoz, who is also the defence minister, called the deal “bad” and said her party had been “ambushed.” She demanded that D66 and CDA withdraw the deal and called for a “fundamental reset” of the coalition. In parliament, VVD leader Ruben Brekelmans said the VVD would vote against the whole tax plan if the Pro/Volt amendment passed. In an unusual step, the cabinet, which includes D66 and CDA ministers, formally advised parliament not to accept the amendment, warning in a letter that its financing was unsound. Experts pointed out a gap of about 412 million euros still to be covered.

A knife-edge finish

The outcome was uncertain until the very end. The Pro/Volt amendment passed first, with 79 votes and support from D66 and CDA. The full plan was still in doubt. It only passed because two parties that had planned to vote against it, the Partij voor de Dieren and DENK, changed their minds at the last minute. In exchange, the PvdD got a higher tax on private jets and stopped a planned increase in train-ticket prices. Separately, a no-confidence motion against the cabinet from the PVV failed by 34 votes to 116.

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What the parties said

The reactions showed how divided the parties are. Brekelmans called the day “distressing” (ontluisterend) and, as he left, would not say what it meant for the coalition’s future, explaining he would not decide “two minutes after the vote.” Prime Minister Jetten said he would do everything to keep the coalition together, calling for a “serious restart” and announcing talks on Friday with his two deputy prime ministers, Bart van den Brink (CDA) and Yesilgoz (VVD). D66 leader Jan Paternotte and CDA leader Henri Bontenbal urged the VVD not to leave, with Paternotte saying the alternative had been “muddling on.” Volt leader Laurens Dassen criticised the VVD for being the only coalition party to vote against the plan, while JA21 leader Joost Eerdmans described D66, VVD, and CDA as “a coalition without cement.” ChristenUnie leader Mirjam Bikker welcomed the plan’s approval but worried about the country’s ability to be governed.

What happens next

The main question now is whether the VVD will stay in the cabinet. The party did not meet on Thursday night and said more would be known on Friday, when Yesilgoz meets with Jetten and Van den Brink. The plan is not yet law: it still needs to pass the Eerste Kamer (the Senate) before the end of the year. The coalition also lacks a majority there, and losing support from right-wing parties over the wealth-tax change could be crucial. If the coalition parties cannot rebuild trust, early elections are possible and could be held alongside the provincial and water-authority elections already set for 17 March 2027.

At the time of writing, no decision had been taken on the cabinet’s future, and the positions described above are those of the parties themselves. We will report the outcome of Friday’s talks as it becomes clear.

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A quiet chapter in Dutch local government is closing. Rozendaal, a small castle village in Gelderland and the smallest municipality on the Dutch mainland, has chosen to give up the independence it has maintained for nearly two centuries.

The vote

On Tuesday evening, the nine-member municipal council voted for the village’s roughly 1,800 residents to merge with the neighbouring municipalities of Rheden and Brummen. This decision ends almost two centuries of self-rule for the village, just north of Arnhem. It was not a happy decision. “I see the sadness among my council members. You simply do not want this, but there is no other option,” said acting mayor Ingrid Timmer.

Why a village this small could no longer go it alone

Despite having fewer than two thousand residents, Rozendaal has kept its own town hall, a mayor, two aldermen, nine councillors, and seventeen civil servants. But the municipal executive says this is no longer sustainable. The village is short on staff, has a heavy workload, and faces rising costs in the “social domain”: the Dutch term for things like welfare, youth care, and support for informal carers, which are now the responsibility of municipalities and have become more expensive and complicated.

The financial outlook was bleak. A study by consultancy Moventem predicted deficits of hundreds of thousands of euros in the next few years, rising to over 600,000 euros by 2036, even with big budget cuts and the highest possible local revenue. Earlier this year, the administration decided that staying independent was not realistic. As Timmer told the council over the summer, it is nice to dream of a special status, but the organisation is very vulnerable. The municipality does not even have its 2025 annual financial statement ready because it does not have enough staff to prepare it.

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Keeping the village’s character

Rozendaal decided to merge with Rheden and Brummen instead of the much larger city of Arnhem. Brummen and Rheden had already agreed to form a new municipality, and Rozendaal will now ask to join them. The council says this choice will have the least impact on residents: people can keep their current address, the “village character” can stay, and there are benefits for care, since Rheden has already handled social-domain tasks for Rozendaal for years. The council made it clear that the area’s green spaces, unique identity, good public services, and clear representation of the village must be protected in the new municipality.

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A quirk of history

It is remarkable that Rozendaal lasted this long, having avoided the many municipal mergers of recent decades. The municipality was founded in 1818 and goes back to the lordship of Rozendael, where the Count of Gelre built Rosendael Castle in the 14th century. For many years, the castle’s noble residents were in charge. When one baron inherited the castle in 1900, the municipal website says he became mayor “more or less automatically”.

Not everyone supported the change. A citizens’ group collected over 450 signatures against the merger, saying that residents should decide at the next elections instead of settling it now. The move is not final yet: the councils of Rheden and Brummen still need to agree in December to let Rozendaal join. If everything goes as planned, the new municipality will start on 1 January 2030, with early council elections in late 2029. One opponent found some hope in the uncertainty, thinking that if the partners back out, the village could end up back where it started.

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One of the most hyped video game releases ever is nearly here, and it’s making an impact in an unexpected way: Dutch staff calendars. Rockstar Games will release Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) on Thursday, 19 November, and HR companies are seeing a clear jump in leave requests for that day, especially from younger men who seem to prefer gaming over working.

What the numbers show

Radio station BNR reported the trend after checking with several HR platforms. At HR company Remote, which works in almost every country, leave booked for 19 November is nearly a third higher than on the same date last year. For full-time employees worldwide, bookings are up 32%, the biggest increase for any single workday in 2026 outside of major holidays. In the Netherlands, leave booked for the release date is about 20% higher than last year, putting the country eighth in Remote’s global ranking (Italy is first).

The differences by age and gender are especially noticeable. At Dutch scheduling software company Dyflexis, after the release date was announced, men aged 20 to 40 submitted 289% more leave requests for 19 November than the year before. Overall, Dyflexis saw about 7% more leave scheduled for that day, counting both formal requests and people marking themselves unavailable, including part-time and on-call workers. Not everyone who asked for the day off will actually get it.

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Young men in, older men out

The effect is mostly seen among younger people. Dyflexis found no real change in leave requests from women, and interestingly, men over 40 are doing the opposite of their younger coworkers: requests from that group were about 28% lower than last year. The data doesn’t show whether the over-40s are choosing to hold down the fort or are just less interested in Vice City.

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A very Dutch enthusiasm

The Netherlands seems especially enthusiastic. BNR reports that, relative to population, “GTA 6” is searched for on Google more in the Netherlands than anywhere else in the world. The game is the first major new entry in the series in over a decade and launches on 19 November for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC version is rumoured for early 2027. The game is rated 18+.

For employers, this situation is a light-hearted but real scheduling challenge, and it shows how big these cultural moments have become. Some analysts estimate the launch could cost the US economy about a billion dollars in lost productivity. At least one American company went viral for making 19 November a company-wide day off instead of trying to prevent absences. Dutch managers, seeing their own wave of well-timed requests, might consider doing the same.

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As part of its ongoing effort to address the Netherlands’ severe housing shortage, the government has chosen five new locations to help speed up construction. These sites are expected to provide about 25,000 homes.

Where the new sites are

On 9 November, Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan, the D66 minister for housing and spatial planning, announced the five municipalities: Assen, Best, the Walcheren area of Zeeland (where Middelburg, Vlissingen, and Veere are working together), Roosendaal, and Zuidplas. Together, these sites aim to provide homes for over 50,000 people who are currently searching for a place to live.

The ministry estimates there will be about 5,000 to 6,000 homes in Assen (in the Kloosterveen, Stadskwartier, and Zuidoost areas), around 3,500 in Best mainly near the railway station, about 5,000 to 6,000 in and around Middelburg, Vlissingen, and Veere on Walcheren, a similar number in Roosendaal’s railway zone, and about 6,000 in a new village called Cortelande in Zuidplas, Zuid-Holland.

What “large-scale national housing site” means

With this designation, these five locations join the government’s list of large-scale national housing sites (grootschalige woningbouwlocaties). At these sites, the central government takes a more active role to speed up construction, instead of leaving it only to local authorities. There are now 31 such sites, which together are expected to deliver over 400,000 homes by 2040. The ministry says these sites make up just over 40 percent of the homes planned in the coming years. The remaining 60 percent will come from smaller projects, such as converting existing buildings or adding homes on the edges of towns and villages.

This marks a milestone for Drenthe and Zeeland, as these are their first large-scale national sites. Now, every Dutch province has at least one. The minister explained that she considered factors like employment, electricity grid capacity, and geographic distribution when selecting the locations. She said, “Too many people are looking for a place to live. That is why we must build at full speed and carry out plans more quickly.”

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No extra infrastructure money this time

Unlike some earlier announcements, this time there is no extra government funding for roads and railways. The ministry explained that these five locations are already well connected, so no additional money is needed for accessibility. This is different from some previous sites, where the government was criticised for not setting aside funds for necessary infrastructure.

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The context, and the criticism

This announcement is part of the government’s larger goal to build 100,000 homes a year to reduce the shortage, a target it has not yet met. These fast-track designations are a key part of the plan, which is overseen by a task force created earlier this year to speed up housebuilding.

The decision has also faced some scepticism. Commentators pointed out that many of these “new” locations are based on plans that local governments have worked on for years. For example, Zuidplas has discussed building at Cortelande for a long time, so the federal designation mainly adds national support and urgency rather than introducing a new idea. The Cortelande project is especially debated. As broadcaster NOS noted, the planned village is at one of the lowest points in the Netherlands, raising concerns about water safety and long-term flood risk. Supporters argue that the site is well located between towns and transport links, and that the urgent need for housing means viable sites should not be left unused.

These plans and designations have a target date of 2040, not homes being built right now. The real test of the policy will be how quickly construction actually happens in the coming years.

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If you are near Schiphol on Thursday 19 November and notice a lot of emergency vehicles or hear sirens throughout the day, there is no need to worry. The airport is holding a large safety exercise and has made it clear that nothing is actually wrong.

What is happening

On 19 November, emergency services and crisis organisations will come together at Schiphol to practice handling a “large-scale safety incident.” The exercise will simulate a serious event involving an aircraft. Many groups are involved, such as the police and its Special Intervention Service (DSI), the fire brigade, ambulance services, Defence (the armed forces), the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (the military police responsible for border and airport security), the Kennemerland safety region, KLM, and Schiphol.

The goal is for all these groups to practice working together on a complex situation that requires teamwork. Schiphol explains that during major incidents, many organisations need to share information quickly. By training together, emergency responders, administrators, and crisis organisations stay ready for real emergencies.

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What you might see and hear

The exercise will happen inside the secure area of the airport, behind the fences where the planes are parked. Still, some parts might be visible from public roads. During the day, you may also see police and emergency vehicles with flashing lights and sirens moving between different places nearby.

Schiphol mainly wants to reassure everyone: if you see or hear a lot of emergency activity around the airport that day, there is no need to think something is wrong. It is all part of the planned drill. Remember, if a vehicle with flashing lights and a siren comes near, always give it space, even if you know it is just an exercise.

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Will it affect flights?

The airport says that travellers flying on 19 November should not worry about delays. The plans have been made together with KLM and emergency services, and Schiphol is working hard to keep any disruption for travellers, local residents, and normal air traffic as low as possible. There are no cancelled flights, closed runways, or closed roads announced.

As a sensible precaution, if you are driving to the airport that day, it is a good idea to leave a bit earlier and check your flight status with your airline or the airport before you go. Still, the exercise should not cause any problems for your journey, and seeing emergency crews at work is planned and nothing to worry about.

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There’s good news for train commuters. The Dutch railways are expanding, and when the new NS timetable starts on 13 December 2026, passengers will see more trains on many routes. A long-awaited direct connection between the north and south will return, and there will also be a small but helpful change to how train lines are labelled.

Groningen-Rotterdam direct again

The biggest change is the return of a direct intercity train between Groningen and Rotterdam. This connection ran until the end of 2024, going through Utrecht, before it was stopped. Now it’s returning on a different, faster route: via Assen, Zwolle, Lelystad, Almere, Amsterdam Zuid, and Schiphol, then over the high-speed line (HSL) from Schiphol to Rotterdam, using the new ICNG high-speed trains.

The new timetable starts on 13 December, but this direct service begins a week later, on 21 December. From then, passengers can travel the whole route without changing trains. NS has wanted to connect the north of the country to the high-speed line for a long time, and this change finally makes it happen.

Enschede-Amsterdam returns

Another big improvement is coming in the eastern Netherlands. A direct intercity train between Enschede and Amsterdam, which hasn’t run for about twenty years, is coming back as a weekday peak-hour service. It will connect Enschede, Hengelo, and Almelo with Amsterdam. The number of trains between Enschede and Amersfoort will go up to three per hour, and on weekends, more direct intercity trains will run between Almelo, Deventer, and Amsterdam. NS says the new Enschede-Amsterdam service will also be a bit faster than the current options.

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More frequent trains elsewhere

Besides the two restored long-distance routes, NS is adding more trains on several lines, especially around Utrecht and on weekends. For example, between Houten Castellum and Utrecht Centraal, peak-hour Sprinters will run six times an hour from Monday to Thursday, instead of four. Between Veenendaal Centrum and Utrecht Centraal, the frequency will double to four trains an hour. The 10-minute intercity service between Amsterdam, Utrecht, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and Eindhoven will also run on Fridays. In the evenings and on weekend mornings, intercity trains between Utrecht and Den Haag Centraal will run every 15 minutes. On Sundays, Sprinter services between Dordrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague will double to four trains an hour.

Every train gets a number

There’s also a new change for the whole network. Starting 13 December, every NS train line will have its own fixed line number, just like bus, tram, and metro lines. This should make the rail network easier to understand, especially for occasional travellers and newcomers, by giving each route a clear identity instead of just using destinations.

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When and what to check

The 2027 timetable will be in effect from 13 December 2026 to 11 December 2027. As with every December timetable change, it’s a good idea to check your usual journeys in the NS app or planner just before the switch, because departure times, platforms, and connections can change even on routes that aren’t part of the main updates. For travellers in Groningen, Drenthe, and Twente, the new direct connections should make trips much easier, especially for those who used to have to change trains.

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After months of pressure to clarify the Netherlands’ position on artificial intelligence, the cabinet has finally released its long-awaited vision. The document tackles a tough question: how can a mid-sized European country benefit from a technology led by American and Chinese giants without losing control of its own future?

What the cabinet wants

In a 28-page vision letter sent to parliament on 6 November, Willemijn Aerdts, the D66 state secretary for digital economy and sovereignty, explained the government’s approach. “AI will largely determine our future,” she wrote, describing a Netherlands where technology “makes everyone better,” nurses have more time for patients, and entrepreneurs can grow.

The main message is to take action and choose where to focus. “We don’t have to be able to do everything ourselves, but we do want to decide for ourselves which direction we take,” Aerdts said. The cabinet recognises that the Netherlands cannot lead in every area of AI, so it wants to focus on sectors where economic opportunities meet major social challenges, like healthcare, energy, and high-tech industry.

The vision is built on three main ideas: developing and using AI responsibly, accessing top AI technology while protecting against security risks, and ensuring the AI transition aligns with Dutch public values so people stay in control of how technology affects their lives.

Reducing dependence, and who the “reliable partners” are

Sovereignty is a key theme. The cabinet wants to prevent the Netherlands from becoming too dependent on a few foreign companies for important technology, or, as the vision says, on any single country, company, or player. It argues that the European Union needs “sufficient strategic AI capabilities” of its own, and that as much as possible should be done within the EU or with other trusted countries.

Outside Europe, the letter lists Canada, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea as “middle powers” and reliable partners the Netherlands wants to work with. It also says that working with the two superpowers is unavoidable, so the Netherlands and the EU will keep aiming for “stable and predictable relations” with the United States and China. The document points out that the Netherlands has joined Pax Silica, a US-led partnership on chips, computing power, and AI infrastructure. Aerdts, whose role includes “sovereignty,” also highlights the importance of building up Dutch industry that makes the components AI depends on, reflecting the country’s place in the global chip supply chain.

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Little money, few specifics

The main criticism is about funding. The only specific amount in the vision is 120 million euros for Dutch participation in an EU-wide AI project, which was already set aside in September. The letter says more “targeted and structural investment” is needed in infrastructure, talent, and research, but does not mention any other amounts.

This led to a strong reaction from Volt, the pro-European opposition party that has pushed for more action on AI policy. “This is a toothless tiger,” party leader Laurens Dassen told broadcaster NOS. “AI should be a top priority. It isn’t if there is no budget.” The cabinet has previously rejected some of Volt’s more ambitious ideas, like a special tax on companies that replace workers with AI and a “golden share” giving the state influence over AI developers. Instead, it prefers to support the sector rather than impose rules it sees as too restrictive.

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What comes next

There are still more plans to come. Proposals for computing power and data centres, which use a lot of electricity and water, both limited resources in the Netherlands, are expected in the first quarter of 2027. The cabinet is also considering setting up a Dutch AI safety institute similar to the one in the United Kingdom, with an advisory report due in December. Aerdts and the education minister also plan to make a “media pact” with media organisations to address, among other things, how AI systems use journalistic content, though no details have been shared yet.

The vision is a statement of intent rather than binding policy, and its practical effect will depend on decisions and funding still to come.

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Another bill will go up next year. The waterschapsbelasting is a Dutch tax that many internationals may not know about, but everyone here pays it. It is expected to rise again in 2027, adding tens of euros to most households’ yearly costs.

What is this tax, and who pays it

Much of the Netherlands sits below sea level and is managed by 21 regional water authorities, known as waterschappen or hoogheemraadschappen. These are a separate, centuries-old layer of government with their own elected boards and their own tax. They are responsible for keeping the country dry and the water clean by maintaining dikes, pumping stations and sluices, treating wastewater, and managing water levels. Almost everyone pays into this system, whether you own or rent, through the waterschapsbelasting, which appears on the same annual bill as municipal taxes.

How much more in 2027

The Unie van Waterschappen, which represents the water authorities, says the tax will go up by about 7% on average next year for both homeowners and renters. For a household in an owner-occupied home with a WOZ value (the official assessed property value used for tax) of 370,000 euros, this means about 35 euros more, bringing the typical bill to around 535 euros a year. Someone living alone in a rented home would pay about 15 euros more. For agricultural businesses and nature managers, the average increase is a bit higher at about 7.5%, while for other businesses it is a bit lower.

For owner-occupiers, part of the tax depends on the WOZ value, so the exact increase varies by home. The umbrella group gave examples: about 33 euros more for a 300,000-euro home and about 37 euros more for a 450,000-euro home.

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Why it keeps going up

For years, the water tax rose by only a few euros at a time. But since 2023, it has increased by tens of euros each year. The water authorities give several reasons for this. Energy costs have gone up sharply, and they also have to adapt to climate change. Almost all of them had extra costs last summer to deal with the long drought. Material and construction prices have also risen, and a major bill is coming to replace and modernise old infrastructure like pumping stations, weirs, wastewater treatment plants, and dikes. The authorities say these increases are the cost of “necessary investments” in safety and clean water.

The amount of money involved is significant. The 21 water authorities collected more than 4.6 billion euros in taxes this year, up from 3.1 billion in 2021.

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It varies a lot by region, and it is not final yet

These are national averages, but the actual amount depends a lot on where you live. Each water authority sets its own rates, and they can differ widely. For example, Waterschap Limburg has announced an average rise of about 8.4%, with nearly 362 million euros planned for investment in 2027. In the Amsterdam region, the Amstel, Gooi en Vecht authority is even proposing annual increases of 4% above inflation every year until 2050 to fund its long-term plans. This would roughly double the bill over time.

One last note: the national figure is still just an estimate. The water authority boards are discussing and finalising their 2027 rates right now, so the averages mentioned are only an expectation, not a final number. If you want to know your likely bill, you will get the figure from your local water authority, along with your municipal taxes, early next year.

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It was a tense week for European aviation, with waves of false bomb threats disrupting flights across the continent. If you are flying to or from the Netherlands, you might wonder how serious the situation is, what happens to affected passengers, and who is responsible.

What happened

According to broadcaster NOS, European air traffic faced three separate waves of bomb threats this week, affecting at least ten planes. Two KLM flights were among them: one from Prague to Amsterdam, which landed safely at Schiphol and was searched by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, and another that left Amsterdam for Tel Aviv, which got a threat just before a planned stop in Bucharest.

Importantly, no explosives have been found in any of these incidents, and no one has been hurt. The threats seem mainly intended to disrupt civil aviation and spread fear. Overall, the impact was small: Eurocontrol said fourteen flights received threats on Thursday, out of more than 26,000 flights in European airspace that day. Still, in some cases, fighter jets escorted the affected planes.

What it means for passengers

For travellers on a targeted plane, a threat can mean hours of delay while the aircraft is diverted or searched before anyone can get off. Even so, passengers usually do not get extra financial compensation. This is because a bomb threat is treated as a terrorist threat and as “overmacht” (force majeure, or circumstances beyond the airline’s control), so the airline does not have to pay out as it would for a normal cancellation.

However, airlines still have a “duty of care” under European rules. Passengers affected by delays are entitled to reasonable food and drinks during the wait, and, if needed, an overnight stay and alternative transport. If their flight is cancelled, they should get a replacement flight, and if the airline cannot provide one, compensation may apply. For example, the KLM flight stranded in Bucharest could not continue because of a separate technical fault, so those passengers could claim compensation.

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What it costs airlines

These hoaxes are costly for airlines. “On a continental flight with a Boeing 737 or Airbus 320, you have around 180 passengers,” said aviation analyst Paul Vaneker from Flightright. He explained that caring for all passengers, plus the costs of an unplanned landing like extra fuel, airport fees, and handling, can add up to tens of thousands of euros. Aviation expert Joris Melkert said the damage is still manageable compared to airlines’ total revenue, but these costs could eventually be passed on to passengers through ticket prices.

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Who is behind it?

Who is behind these threats is still unknown, so caution is needed. No one has been identified or claimed responsibility. After bomb threats were also emailed to Irish newsrooms, Ireland’s government said it seemed to be a coordinated campaign to cause disruption. Security experts in Dutch and Belgian media have suggested several possibilities, from individuals or copycats to a more organised “hybrid” operation. Some, like aviation-security analyst Eric Schouten, have mentioned possible Russian involvement, but they say this is not proven. AFP also reported that some threat emails were signed by a radical group, but the agency could not confirm any connection.

Bart van den Berg, a security and defence expert at the Clingendael Institute, said the main effect of these threats is psychological, not financial. He explained that such hoaxes make the public uneasy and create a sense of insecurity. They also leave airlines with the tough job of deciding, among many false alarms, which threat could one day be real.

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In a country where skating on natural ice is a beloved tradition, the opening of the Netherlands’ first natural ice rink of the season was a small but joyful milestone. On Friday morning, as the first frost of autumn appeared in parts of the country, the rink briefly opened.

A brief first skate

The skating club in Winterswijk, in the eastern province of Gelderland, earned the honour and the prized “primeur” (the scoop of being first). Their 400-metre track opened to the public at 7:30 am, even though there was only about 2.5 millimetres of ice. Around 20 to 30 early risers enjoyed the first skate of the winter before the sun started melting the edges of the track, which led to its closure at about 10 am.

“When you tell people that, they say ‘it can’t be done.’ But it can,” the club’s chairman, Auke Spijkstra, told broadcaster NOS. “It’s wonderful to see all those enthusiastic people.”

How to skate on 2.5mm of ice

This was possible because of a combination of weather and clever techniques. The night was clear and cloudless, which allowed heat to escape and the ground to cool below freezing, even if the air temperature stayed just above zero. The club also uses a special method: a misting arm sprays water in thin layers to create a flat surface, and a white coating on the base reflects sunlight to keep the ice from warming too quickly. “We weren’t sure it would work,” said ice master Hendrik van Prooije, skating on his own rink. “It’s always a little competition to be first. I believe we were the first skaters in the Netherlands.”

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The frost and the official rules

The skating happened as the KNMI recorded the first local frost of the autumn overnight in Brabant, Limburg, and parts of Zeeland. The lowest temperature was minus 1.2 degrees in Woensdrecht, Brabant. However, due to Dutch meteorological rules, it does not count as an official frost day unless the temperature drops below zero at the KNMI’s national measuring station in De Bilt, near Utrecht. There, it stayed at 0.8 degrees. This year’s first frost is also later than usual; in recent decades, it has typically arrived around 23 to 25 October.

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It was over in a flash

If you want to join in, you’ll need to act fast and watch the weather forecast. The next few nights are expected to be cloudy, which will prevent the ice from forming. Van Prooije thinks it could be a few weeks before people can skate again. As for the real dream of every Dutch skater, the return of the Elfstedentocht (the legendary eleven-city skating tour last held in 1997) that is still as hard to predict as ever, according to the ice master.

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An unusual political alliance is coming together in The Hague over a plan to change how politicians hold office. The biggest party in government and the largest opposition party both want to stop politicians from holding more than one elected position at once.

What is being proposed

Right now, Dutch politicians are allowed to hold several political positions at once, and some take advantage of this. For example, a person could be a member of the Tweede Kamer (the lower house of parliament) and also serve as a councillor in their hometown, or be an alderman (wethouder) while sitting on the provincial council (Provinciale Staten). They get paid for each job.

Some parties already ban this practice in their own rules. Now, D66, the largest governing party, and Pro (the former GroenLinks-PvdA), the largest opposition party, have jointly drawn up a plan to change the law so that no politician can have a “double mandate” (dubbelfunctie) anymore.

Conflicts of interest and time

The parties give two main reasons. First, there is a risk of conflicts of interest, or at least the appearance of one. “I was a provincial council member, and then you deal with, for example, a regional spatial plan,” said D66 MP Renilde Huizenga. “It would be strange if you were then also an alderman in that same province. You would be deciding about the same area at different levels.” Her Pro colleague Mo Mohandis mentioned that an alderman who is also a provincial council member might be tempted to favour their own municipality when a new housing district is being decided. “That risk exists. And you must always avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

The second reason is time. Both parties say political jobs are too demanding to combine. “The work of an MP really takes more than forty hours a week,” Huizenga said. Mohandis, who used to be a councillor in Gouda, a job he says took about thirty hours a week, put it more directly: “It is deceiving the voter to pretend you can do both at the same time.”

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Who it affects, and the pushback

According to NOS, it is mostly politicians from the PVV and Forum voor Democratie (FvD) who hold multiple roles, with several MPs also serving on provincial or municipal councils. Not surprisingly, these parties are pushing back. FvD MP Milan Schenk, who is also a councillor in Teylingen, said his party will not support the proposal, arguing “it is up to the voter to judge that.” He said he felt “almost insulted” by the plan, since it suggests he is not doing his job well, even though he claims to work 100 hours a week to handle both roles.

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What happens next

The idea has a notable supporter in government. CDA minister Heerma, who oversees the functioning of the democratic state, responded positively. He said he sees the value of “clean relationships in our democratic governance” and a balanced distribution of power across different levels of government, so he thinks it is good to “critically examine the phenomenon of double mandates once again.” A coalition between D66 and Pro still has to be worked out and formally submitted. But given the size of the two parties and the minister’s sympathy for the plan, it stands a real chance of winning majority support in parliament.

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The Dutch minority cabinet may be heading for an unusual manoeuvre to get its 2027 tax plan through parliament: allowing its own coalition parties to vote against one another. After a long debate on Wednesday night, the three governing parties said they may allow a “split vote,” showing how difficult it is for the government to find a majority.

What the coalition parties said

Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s centrist-liberal D66 and the Christian-democrat CDA indicated they could support opposition changes to the tax plan, even if their coalition partner, the right-wing liberal VVD, votes against them. “It is not an unthinkable situation,” D66 finance spokesman Henk-Jan Oosterhuis said after repeated questions from MPs, adding: “The coalition is not a merger party.” Inge van Dijk from the CDA said split voting was “certainly not the intention,” but did not rule it out, saying the coalition would discuss how to vote.

This is possible because parliament votes on each amendment separately before voting on the whole. In the scenario being discussed in The Hague, the VVD could vote against raising the wealth tax, while D66 and the CDA could pass it with help from the left-wing opposition. This would keep both the tax plan and the coalition alive.

The wealth-tax amendment

The main issue is an amendment from the left-wing Pro (formerly GroenLinks-PvdA) and Volt. It would move 1.5 billion euros of tax from workers to the wealthiest. Income tax would go down, paid for by higher taxes on large fortunes, more tax on business owners’ income from their companies, and ending tax breaks for passing family businesses to the next generation. Pro leader Jesse Klaver said people who earn money from wealth should pay as much tax as those who earn the same by working.

The VVD is strongly against the proposal. VVD MP Wendy van Eijk called it “unthinkable” for any coalition party to support “in this form,” saying it would be bad for the Netherlands because it taxes entrepreneurs more. She also said it was “unthinkable” that the rest of the coalition would back it. Jetten, for his part, said he saw no coalition blockade on higher wealth taxes.

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The Markuszower controversy

The numbers have also drawn criticism from the left. The coalition has only 66 out of 150 seats and now seems likely to win next week’s lower-house vote with help from ChristenUnie, 50PLUS, and the group led by former PVV MP Gidi Markuszower, who said he would support the plan to avoid new elections. Left-wing parties like Pro, Denk, and the Party for the Animals criticised the government for relying on Markuszower. They pointed out that parliament, including the coalition, voted earlier this year against working with politicians who call for violence against refugees. Markuszower had said Palestinian refugees should be stopped “with maximum violence.” Oosterhuis said there was “no agreement” with Markuszower, but added that if he wanted to support the plan, “I am not going to ask him to vote against it.” Pieter Grinwis from ChristenUnie called the situation “frankly a mess.”

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What happens next

A lot is at stake. The tax plan sets income-tax rates and other levies for next year and must pass in time for the tax office to use them. If it fails, the cabinet would almost certainly fall. There are still days of negotiation ahead. The lower house (Tweede Kamer) votes on 12 November. Even if it passes there, the Senate (Eerste Kamer) must also approve it before the end of the year, and the coalition would need support from either Pro and Volt or the BBB.

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A growing number of human-rights organisations have quietly reduced or stopped their work with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague because of pressure from US sanctions, a new journalistic investigation has found. These groups provide much of the information the court relies on, so their withdrawal is making it harder for the ICC to investigate war crimes, even in cases unrelated to the United States.

What the investigation found

The findings are based on a survey of one hundred non-profit organisations by the investigative platform Investico, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, and the Dutch weekly De Groene Amsterdammer. The survey found that at least twenty human-rights organisations have either greatly reduced or completely stopped working with the ICC since last year.

According to the investigation, the main reason is the sanctions the United States placed on the court. Some organisations have stopped working with the ICC because their contracts with American funders do not allow it. Many NGOs are now afraid to cooperate at all. Some, including large groups like Human Rights Watch, have quietly ended their involvement. Investico notes that the real number could be higher, since many NGOs do not want to talk to journalists about how the sanctions affect them.

Why these groups matter to the court

Human-rights organisations with strong local networks are essential for building criminal cases. They provide evidence, eyewitness accounts, and new types of proof. They are often the first to arrive at the scene and can share expert knowledge of local law. “They are a very important part of our work,” former chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told Investico. “They do not investigate for us, but they do provide us with tips, which lets us find ways to substantiate evidence.” Bensouda, who led the ICC’s prosecution until 2021, was herself put on a US sanctions list in 2020.

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How the sanctions work

The US sanctions were put in place by President Donald Trump after the court issued arrest warrants for people, including Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel denies these charges. The sanctions include financial penalties and visa restrictions for anyone helping the ICC investigate US citizens or US allies like Israel. Sanctioned staff lose access to assets in the US and cannot buy from or use American companies. The Trump administration recently announced even stricter financial measures, mostly starting next year, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio said would ban transactions with what he called a “rogue court.”

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A widening chill

One notable point is how far the effects go beyond cases involving the US or Israel. The investigation mentions a European organisation working in East Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine that was stopped by an American donor from using its funds for anything related to the court. Even European organisations not directly affected by the sanctions have stepped back. “The risk of being sanctioned ourselves, and thereby endangering all our other work, is something we cannot accept,” one German NGO told the researchers. Some groups did speak publicly: Save the Children Netherlands said it was trying to find a new way to cooperate, and the research group Forensic Architecture said it was rethinking its relationship with the ICC.

These developments make the issue more real for the Netherlands, which hosts the court. They also come soon after the ICC received a major EU human-rights prize that recognised the pressure the court is facing.

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People in the Netherlands who earn too much for social housing but cannot afford to buy a home are finding it harder to rent. New data shows the private rental sector is shrinking for the second year in a row, and the decline is speeding up.

The numbers

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that the number of homes rented out in the private sector dropped by about 22,000 last year. At the start of 2026, there were around 1.16 million left, a 1.9 percent decrease. This is the second year in a row the sector has shrunk, after a previous drop of about 3,000 homes, following years of growth.

Looking closer, there has been a bigger change in who owns rental homes. Private individual landlords (particulieren) reduced their holdings the most, selling 37,000 homes and bringing their total down to 492,000, a 7 percent drop. Companies (with a bv or nv structure) sold about 14,000 homes. On the other hand, “other” owners like foundations and associations added around 29,000 homes, but CBS notes that much of this is due to landlords changing their legal structure, not new rentals.

Why landlords are selling

The main reason for the shrinking sector is that private landlords are selling their properties, mostly to people who want to live in them. In 2024 and 2025 combined, a net total of 57,000 homes moved from private landlords to the owner-occupied sector.

This trend is mostly due to government actions that have made renting out homes less profitable. Five years ago, the cabinet increased the transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting) for buyers who do not live in the property, which affected buy-to-let investors. In 2024, a rent cap for mid-market homes (the huurprijsregulering) was also introduced. For many smaller investors, renting no longer made financial sense, so they sold their properties, especially since house prices stayed high.

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Cheaper homes are vanishing

For people looking for a home, the hardest part is not just that there are fewer rentals, but that the cheaper ones are disappearing. The rental platform Pararius says that affordable rental homes are becoming less available. Before the 2024 rent cap, most private-sector rentals were just above the social-housing threshold (the liberalisation limit). Now, most new rentals cost 1,500 euros a month or more. The homes being sold are usually the more affordable ones, and those that move to the owner-occupied sector had a higher average property (WOZ) value. This means the remaining rental homes are, on average, more expensive.

There is also a geographic trend: private landlords sold the most rentals in Utrecht and Noord-Holland, which are already high-demand areas with the most rental pressure.

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Policy dilemma

These findings highlight a tough policy dilemma. The government wanted to protect tenants from high rents and help first-time buyers, and many sold homes did go to owner-occupiers, which is a positive. But these same policies have reduced the number of rentals and made the remaining ones more expensive, especially for middle-income renters: the group the mid-market rent cap was supposed to help. In a country already facing a severe housing shortage and now the EU’s second most densely populated, this shows how difficult it is to fix the middle of the housing market.

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The popular, cheap summer train pass from this year might become permanent. Most members of the Dutch parliament want the government to turn the temporary Nederland Dal Vrij subscription into a year-round discounted public transport pass.

What is being proposed

RTL Nieuws’s political desk found that most parties in the Tweede Kamer (the lower house) support a proposal for a permanent discounted off-peak subscription. PRO (Progressief Nederland, formerly GroenLinks-PvdA) MP Habtamu de Hoop submitted it with Pieter Grinwis (ChristenUnie), Sandra Beckerman (SP), and Ines Kostic (Party for the Animals, PvdD). It’s not just the opposition; coalition parties D66 and CDA, as well as the BBB, also support it.

The motion asks the government to work with transport operators and regional authorities to create a permanent discounted off-peak ticket for trains, buses, trams, and metros. It does not set a specific monthly price or require the same €49 deal. The government is expected to decide on the details.

Where it came from

This idea is based on a popular scheme. The Nederland Dal Vrij pass was introduced this spring because of rising energy and fuel prices. It aimed to help households with travel costs and encourage people to use public transport instead of cars. The pass came from a motion by PRO leader Jesse Klaver and others, adopted in April. It launched on 15 June and allowed unlimited second-class travel on domestic trains during off-peak hours for €49 a month. About 365,000 NS passengers bought the summer pass.

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For everyone, ‘like in Germany’

A key part of the proposal is that the subscription would be available to everyone, not just to groups like students, pensioners, or people with low incomes. “Our intention is to introduce it for everyone, just as they have in Germany,” De Hoop said, referring to Germany’s popular nationwide discounted travel ticket. “It is now up to State Secretary Annet Bertram of the CDA to work out the details. She can always deviate from the proposal.”

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The cost, and what happens next

The main question is about funding. PRO has estimated that a year-round discounted train subscription would cost between €500 million and €600 million each year, much more than the €118 million spent on the temporary summer scheme. Now that most parliament members support it, the proposal goes to State Secretary Annet Bertram, who has reportedly responded positively and is already talking with transport operators.

The timing is important. NS has just announced it will raise ticket prices by an average of 4.7 percent from January. The railway also wants to talk with the government about possibly bringing back the summer Dal Vrij pass in 2027. For travellers who will pay more, a permanent, affordable off-peak pass for trains, buses, trams, and metros sounds attractive. However, how affordable it will be and how soon it arrives depends on what the government decides and if it can find the money. A parliamentary motion sets the direction, but it does not guarantee the ticket.

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For a long time, having a diploma from a university or university of applied sciences meant you could count on steady work in the Netherlands. But new figures show that this is changing. More people with higher education are now claiming unemployment benefits, and the benefits agency partly connects this trend to the rise of artificial intelligence.

What the figures show

A new report from the UWV as reported by the FD and ANP, which handles unemployment benefits (WW), shows that people with a university (wo) or university of applied sciences (hbo) degree made up 30 percent of all WW claimants in 2022. By 2026, this had increased to 38 percent.

One reason is simple: more Dutch people have higher education now, so they make up a bigger part of both the workforce and the unemployed. But the UWV also points to other reasons in some jobs, like the fast growth of AI, company reorganisations, and wider economic and political uncertainty. UWV board member Judith Duveen warned that the job security once linked to an HBO or WO diploma is fading.

Which jobs are affected

The UWV report highlights certain jobs where the impact is clear. AI is changing office and knowledge work the fastest, especially jobs focused on texts, numbers, and data. The agency notes that more highly educated marketing staff and IT professionals are claiming benefits. In July 2026, almost 6,400 people from IT jobs were receiving WW, partly due to reorganisations at banks that have cut thousands of jobs in recent years, expecting AI to handle some tasks. In customer service roles, the number of WW recipients went up by 42 percent between the second quarter of 2023 and the same period in 2026.

People just starting their careers are also feeling the effects. The UWV notes that it is getting harder for newcomers, as some of the entry-level jobs they used to do are now under pressure.

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Not a fix for the ‘mismatch’

Importantly, having more highly educated people out of work does not fix the bigger problem in the Dutch job market. The country still faces what the UWV calls a “mismatch”: there are not enough job-seekers with the specific skills employers need, especially in technology, care, and education. For example, a marketing graduate on benefits cannot fill a nurse or electrician job. The UWV even worries it might get harder for some higher-educated people to find work, as the jobs they trained for are under pressure.

The suggested solution is retraining and moving between sectors. Duveen is calling on industries to make their training and development funds (bijscholingsfondsen) available, so people can retrain and switch to sectors where workers are needed, instead of keeping these funds limited to one industry.

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The bigger picture

These findings give a clear Dutch example in the global debate about how much AI will change white-collar jobs. The UWV is careful not to exaggerate, saying AI is likely a factor in some professions but not the only reason. Overall, the job market is still tight in most fields, even though it is cooling. This comes at a time when there is a heated political debate about the WW itself. The current cabinet wants to shorten it, but unions strongly oppose this, making the question of who will need it, and for how long, even more important.

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The Dutch minority cabinet has agreed on a revised 2027 budget and made new concessions to try to win parliamentary support for its tax plan, which it has not secured yet. Even with these changes, a majority is still uncertain. The government is now relying on a parliamentary debate on Wednesday to get its plans approved.

What has changed

During an extra cabinet meeting (ministerraad) on Tuesday morning, the coalition parties D66, VVD, and CDA approved the adjustments that their leaders had agreed on the night before. Two changes are especially important.

First, the cabinet is ready to increase support for households’ purchasing power (koopkracht) a bit more. Previously, it had set aside 350 million euros for this, but the new package adds more, with the prime minister describing the total concessions as “many hundreds of millions.”

Second, and more importantly, the cabinet wants to delay the start of its new Box 3 wealth tax by one year, moving it from 2028 to 2029. Box 3 is the part of the Dutch income-tax system that taxes income from savings and investments. The government has been trying to switch to a system based on actual returns, like a capital-gains tax. With this delay, savers and investors will still be taxed under the current rules in 2028.

Why the delay

The delay is a direct response to strong criticism from the Council of State (Raad van State), the government’s top advisory body, which said that starting the new system in 2028 was not realistic. Finance Minister Eelco Heinen (VVD) explained that it was always possible the start date could move from 2028 to 2029, depending on whether banks could provide the needed data in time. The Council of State even suggested 2030 would be better, but the coalition is not going that far. This one-year delay will cost the state an estimated 2.5 to 3 billion euros, as savers and investors stay under the current rules for another year.xt

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A gamble on the debate

The main issue is that the cabinet still does not have a guaranteed majority. Over the weekend, it tried to make a deal with opposition parties but did not succeed. This was partly because the parties want different things: left-wing parties like Pro (GroenLinks-PvdA) want lower taxes for workers and higher taxes on wealth, while right-wing parties have focused on issues like asylum and nitrogen, with some demands that Jetten has said are non-negotiable. The coalition has decided not to choose sides, instead making general concessions and leaving it to Wednesday’s debate, where MPs can suggest their own changes.

Ministers openly discussed the risks. Heinen said, “I am confident that this will lead to a majority,” but also admitted the approach is “full of risks.” Deputy PM Dilan Yesilgöz (VVD) said the plan is “supported by the centre” of parliament and hoped “the left and the right can join in,” but she also recognised that not having a guaranteed majority is “a risk.” Jetten called on “the entire House of Representatives” to support the plan “in this turbulent world.”

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What happens next

Parliament will debate the package on Wednesday evening and is expected to vote on 12 November. Even if the cabinet manages to get a majority in the lower house, possibly with help from parties like ChristenUnie, 50PLUS, and the Markuszower group, there is still no majority in the Senate (Eerste Kamer), which also needs to approve the plan. There will be a separate debate on Box 3 next week. For households, the outcome (slightly more support for purchasing power and no new wealth-tax system until at least 2029) depends on whether the plan survives the next few days.