Tag Archives: politics
What are the Dutch Waterschappen? Posted by Sten on Feb 18, 2019
De Waterschappen. If you live in the Netherlands, you have undoubtedly heard of these institutions. But what exactly are they? What are their responsibilities? And why do the Dutch get to vote for their waterschappen in an election alongside the provincial elections? De taak van een waterschap So, first of all – what is a waterschap? A waterschap (literally “watership”…
So What Was Said During Prince’s Day? Posted by Karoly Molina on Sep 19, 2018
Yesterday was a big day in regards to fashion and economic policy in the Netherlands. During Prinsjesdag 2018, King Willem Alexander presented the cabinet’s plans for the upcoming year with important information about budgets and finances. Below the highlights of the events. History Prinsjesdag began in early 1800, and takes place on the third Tuesday in September…
3 Reasons To Like The Dutch Monarchy Posted by Sten on Apr 27, 2018
Yesterday, we looked at three reasons to dislike the Dutch monarchy. It is expensive, not transparent, useless… So pragmatic! What do proponents think? Today, on the verjaardag van de koning (the King’s birthday), we will look at 3 reasons to like the Dutch monarchy! 1. Verbindt mensen! Having a koning (king) makes people feel connected, as he is the…
3 Reasons To Dislike The Dutch Monarchy Posted by Sten on Apr 26, 2018
Tomorrow, Koning Willem-Alexander can blow out 51 kaarsjes (candles)! And the whole country is going to celebrate it along with him. Right? No. There are some people opposed to the king. And just this week, negative voices have raised again. Why? Here are three, non-exhaustive, reasons why having a koningshuis (royal house) may not be such a wonderful idea, according to tegenstanders (opponents)…
Dutch Elections: The Wiv Referendum Posted by Karoly Molina on Mar 15, 2018
This month, the Dutch will be going to the polls once again to vote. Dutch voters will have several choices to make, one of which is the referendum over de wet op de inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten 2017 or the law of the intelligence and security services 2017. This law is also know as Wiv 2017, aftapwet and sleepwet…
Untranslatable Dutch: VOC-Mentaliteit Posted by Sten on Feb 8, 2018
There are certain words that are used in a language and are impossible to translate. You can try, but it will never be a completely accurate translation that catches its meaning. Such as the Zesjescultuur post, the Pottenkijker post or the Komkommertijd post. In the Untranslatable Dutch posts, we will explore Dutch words that cannot be simply translated to English. Enjoy!…
The Netherlands Has a New Cabinet Posted by Karoly Molina on Oct 29, 2017
Seven months after the election, the new Dutch cabinet has been sworn in. The negotiation talks between the different political parties lasted longer than expected, but, the work can finally begin. On Thursday morning, the new cabinet, nicknamed Rutte III in the news, met with King Willem-Alexander. The new kabinet is comprised of 10 women and…