Major Dutch cities continue to face growing waste challenges, with overflowing trash bins, dumped furniture, and street litter persisting despite millions in municipal spending. According to NOS, Residents in Amsterdam, The Hague, and other urban centers are increasingly frustrated.
Dirk Groot, an expert on street litter known as the “Zwerfinator,” said the problem has worsened over the last two decades. “I cannot say city residents are more antisocial than rural residents. Litter has always been present in big cities, but the amount has increased. In the past twenty years, the number of trash bins has quintupled because we produce more waste,” he told NOS.
Amsterdam councilor Hester van Buren (PvdA) described the issue as “complex.” She cited dense housing, heavy visitor traffic, and continued use of waste bags that attract vermin. The city has added above-ground containers and required businesses to use bins, but AT5 reports that high staff workloads, sick leave, and long-term absences in the cleaning service have worsened street conditions. The city says temporary workers are hired to fill gaps.
In The Hague, waste remains a problem despite the 2023 “Aanvalsplan Afval” initiative, investments, and additional enforcement. Councilor Arjen Kapteijns (GroenLinks) said densely populated neighborhoods with many migrant workers face the worst conditions.
Groot suggested broader solutions beyond stricter enforcement. “More sweeping or policing does not solve the root problem. The real solution lies in reducing packaging, which requires action from businesses and national policymakers,” he told NOS.
Major Dutch cities continue to face growing waste challenges, with overflowing trash bins, dumped furniture, and street litter persisting despite millions in municipal spending. According to NOS, Residents in Amsterdam, The Hague, and other urban centers are increasingly frustrated.
Dirk Groot, an expert on street litter known as the “Zwerfinator,” said the problem has worsened over the last two decades. “I cannot say city residents are more antisocial than rural residents. Litter has always been present in big cities, but the amount has increased. In the past twenty years, the number of trash bins has quintupled because we produce more waste,” he told NOS.
Amsterdam councilor Hester van Buren (PvdA) described the issue as “complex.” She cited dense housing, heavy visitor traffic, and continued use of waste bags that attract vermin. The city has added above-ground containers and required businesses to use bins, but AT5 reports that high staff workloads, sick leave, and long-term absences in the cleaning service have worsened street conditions. The city says temporary workers are hired to fill gaps.
In The Hague, waste remains a problem despite the 2023 “Aanvalsplan Afval” initiative, investments, and additional enforcement. Councilor Arjen Kapteijns (GroenLinks) said densely populated neighborhoods with many migrant workers face the worst conditions.
Groot suggested broader solutions beyond stricter enforcement. “More sweeping or policing does not solve the root problem. The real solution lies in reducing packaging, which requires action from businesses and national policymakers,” he told NOS.
The city of Amsterdam is allocating an additional six million euros to improve women’s safety, the municipality announced. The funds will go toward prevention, victim support, and a specialized police platform focused on violence against women.
The extra funding follows the killing of 17-year-old Lisa last month in Duivendrecht, as well as a rape at the Weesperzijde in Amsterdam and an attempted sexual assault. The same suspect is in custody for all three cases.
Measures include improving public spaces with better lighting. The Holterbergweg, where Lisa was killed, the Weesperzijde, and the Zilvermeeuwpad in Diemen, site of a recent sexual assault, have already been made safer. The city is also considering initiatives like buddy systems in nightlife areas.
About 30 officers from various departments will work within the Stop Violence Against Women platform. The team aims to better support victims and remove internal police bottlenecks. Reporting and filing procedures will be made more accessible, and officers will be trained to detect early signs of sexual violence, abuse, and femicide. Prosecutors will assign dedicated teams to cases that arise from this platform.
“Countless Amsterdammers have come forward with initiatives in recent weeks. This shows broad societal outrage and engagement,” said Mayor Femke Halsema. “We want to honor that civic involvement and do everything possible to stop violence, prevent recurrence, and provide victims with the support they deserve.”
The violent murder of 17-year-old Lisa from Abcoude has led to residents of many municipalities asking questions regarding street safety. A survey by ANP shows that these include questions about safety measures taken by the municipality or reports of locations that people perceive as unsafe.
Lisa was brutally murdered in Assendelft near the Johan Cruijff ArenA while she was cycling back from Amsterdam city center on the way to her home in Abcoude on August 20. A 22-year-old man was arrested in connection with the murder. He had been previously detained for a separate sexual assault case and is also linked to other incidents involving women.
“Understandably, Lisa’s death has also affected Tilburg,” the municipality said. “This has naturally led to questions, comments, and reports.” The municipality says it is now reviewing everything and will then assess whether additional measures are needed.
In Schagen, the incident has prompted “extra discussions,” both within the municipal government and with residents. “We notice that residents are sharing their concerns and questions with us,” for example, requesting more attention to street safety. Based on these signals, the municipality will consider whether additional safety measures should be implemented.
In Zevenaar, Gelderland, the news has “sparked conversations,” and an inventory may be made of locations where “women and other vulnerable groups feel unsafe.”
Various municipalities have stated that they have seen an increase in the number of reports over the last few weeks. These include Dordrecht, Goirle in Noord-Brabant, and Maastricht. Last mentioned received nine reports from residents who feel unsafe on the streets, almost as many as in the last six months. The municipality said that these reports help them to gain more insight into risky areas.
In Diemen, a few residents also came forward with concerns. Some have indicated that they want to contribute ideas for initiatives to improve safety.
Oosterhout reported receiving “many signals” last week, and people also spoke up in The Hague. After the campaign “We Claim the Night,” the municipality received numerous responses from women about their experiences and locations in The Hague where they feel unsafe. “Every report helps us, for example, to identify and address shady and unsafe places.”
Utrecht said that they received “slightly more reports” from people who feel unsafe in recent weeks. “The issue resonates with residents,” the municipality said.
A campaign called #EchtMannelijk was launched on Tuesday in the city. With the message “Ask a woman how often she feels unsafe,” initiative founder Ilia ten Böhmer aims to contribute to a culture in which women feel safe and to raise men’s awareness of their role in this.
The message is visible at 50 locations across the city, including screens along Utrecht’s ring road and on bus shelters and information boards in the city center. It is also displayed on a large billboard along the A2 near The Wall.
Ten Böhmer started the campaign after the murder of Lisa and reports of other sexual assault and femicide cases. “Almost all the women I know well have been harassed, attacked, and/or even raped. In a safe country,” he wrote earlier in a LinkedIn post. He decided to take action himself, aiming “to collectively build a culture in which respectful masculinity is the standard and men help and hold each other accountable to uphold boundaries.”
The Dutch government plans to reduce its ownership in ABN AMRO further, cutting its stake from 30.5 percent to around 20 percent, Caretaker Finance Minister Eelco Heinen announced on Tuesday. Heinen said the proceeds from the share sales will be used to reduce national debt.
The move follows a gradual divestment that began in 2015, aimed at returning the bank to more independent control. ABN AMRO was nationalized in 2008 during the financial crisis after its parent company Fortis faced collapse. The government purchased the bank for 16.8 billion euros to prevent a wider financial meltdown. According to NOS, since then, the state has gradually sold portions of its shares, generating nearly 12 billion euros in proceeds.
The latest sale, managed by NLFI—the agency overseeing government stakes in financial institutions—will consider market conditions and the bank’s performance to determine timing. “NLFI believes now is a good moment to further reduce the state’s holding,” a spokesperson said.
Reducing the government stake will reportedly give ABN AMRO more autonomy. With a holding below one-third, the bank no longer needs ministerial approval to issue new shares, and the minister’s voting advice no longer binds the foundation that shields the bank from hostile takeovers. The government retains the right to approve board members only if its stake drops below 10 percent.
2025-09-11 15:39:00
Two-thirds of Netherlands residents are against the plan to halve the healthcare deductible to €165 per year due to the high increase in premiums that would cause, the Telegraaf reports based on a study by the comparison site Independer.
The healthcare deductible is currently €385 per year. This is the amount you have to pay out of your own pocket if you require hospital treatment, on top of your monthly health insurance premium. Political parties in the Netherlands have been debating the deductible for years. Opponents argue that it can lead to people avoiding healthcare because they can’t afford it. Proponents argue that it prevents unnecessary care and, thereby, keeps some pressure off already overburdened healthcare workers.
Led by the PVV, the current Cabinet decided to halve the deductible to €165 per year, effective January 2027. The Council of State warned that this would increase pressure on the healthcare system and increase premiums by €200 per year.
According to the Independer, two-thirds of Netherlands residents are against this plan. They feel the increased premiums outweigh the lower deductible. Among young people, 71 percent oppose the plan to reduce the deductible. The proposal is slightly more popular among people over 60, but 59 percent are still against it.
“The whole idea behind lowering the deductible was originally to help vulnerable groups like people with low incomes,” Bas Knopperts of the Independer told the Telegraaf. “But people with low incomes already receive healthcare benefits for this. A vulnerable group that could actually face problems is people with occupational disabilities. They currently receive an annual allowance of 220 euros, which will be eliminated if the deductible is lowered to €165.”
According to the Independer, health insurance premiums increased from an average of €00 per month for basic health insurance in 2015 to €158 this year. “If the plans go ahead, the premium could rise to around €200 per month starting in 2027. That’s double the amount in 2015. I think that’s difficult to sell to the average Dutch person.”
Now that the Schoof I Cabinet has fallen and elections are happening next month, it is unclear whether the plan to halve the healthcare deductible will go through. This will depend on the election results and which parties enter the new government.
The election programs for the PVV, GroenLinks-PvdA, and SP state that they want to abolish the deductible entirely. The CDA, VVD, and JA21 want to scrap the reduction. D66 wants to at least halve the deductible for chronically ill people and people with disabilities.
2025-09-11 15:06:00
Purchasing power increased by an average of 3.6 percent in the Netherlands last year, the largest increase in over 20 years. Employees benefited the most, people receiving welfare benefits the least, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Thursday. Pensioners had their first increase in purchasing power in three years.
Purchasing power looks at the main source of income in a household. For people in paid employment, purchasing power increased by an average of 5.3 percent last year. This is largely due to a 6.8 percent increase in collective labor agreement wages. Inflation of 3.1 percent brought the real wage increase down to 3.7 percent.
Employees also benefited from the renewed increase in the labor tax credit. Many employees also worked more hours, increasing their purchasing power. Conversely, a quarter of people in employee households saw their purchasing power dampened by job losses or fewer hours worked.
Self-employed people saw their purchasing power increase by 3.1 percent on average. Reduction of the SME profit exemption and the self-employed person’s tax deduction dampened the increase.
People in welfare households had the lowest purchasing power increase last year at just 0.2 percent. The elimination of the energy allowance in 2024 had a big downward effect on the purchasing power of welfare recipients and other low-income households. The fact that their purchasing power didn’t decrease, on average, was due to increases in social assistance and state pension benefits, and the expansion of housing allowances and child-related budgets.
Due to changes in the child-related budget and a higher child benefit, couples with children generally saw their income increase more than single-parent households and couples without children. In two-parent families, purchasing power increased by an average of 5.6 percent. For single-parents, this was 4.8 percent.
For pensioners, purchasing power increased by 1.8 percent, on average. “This was the first increase in purchasing power after three years of decline,” CBS said. The main reason was an increase in state pension benefits. People with supplementary pensions also benefited from pension indexation.
Pensioners in the lowest decile group did experience a small decline in purchasing power. “The higher state pension and housing allowance could not fully compensate for the loss of the energy allowance,” CBS said.
