This weekend a band of Black Petes chased away police in the town of Urk.

🔗 Kees71 (@Kees71234)

Dutch coalition deal agreed, 271 days after the general election

The four parties planning to extend their current alliance and form a new government in the Netherlands have finalised their agreement, party leaders said on Monday evening. The Liberal VVD, Liberal democratic party D66, the Christian Democrats and Christian party ChristenUnie have drawn up a 40 to 50 page document outlining their plans for the coming few years, which will be presented to parliament on Wednesday.

‘It is a fine, balanced agreement,’ D66 leader Sigrid Kaag told reporters after the negotiations ended. ‘It is a good deal,’ said prime minister and VVD leader Mark Rutte. The deal comes 271 days since the general election and 11 months since the cabinet resigned over the childcare benefit scandal in January.

‘I am glad we are done,’ said ChristenUnie leader Gert Jan Segers. ‘It has taken a long time, it was a bit like a forceps birth.’

The agreement will be discussed by members of the four parties on Tuesday and presented to MPs on Wednesday. On Thursday or Friday, MPs will debate the deal and Rutte will then start putting together the new cabinet during the winter recess.

NOS commentator Ron Fresen said the new cabinet will have to focus on recovery – both on dealing with issues which have been ignored or set aside by previous Rutte administrations, and recovering public trust. The coalition is also politically vulnerable because it does not have a majority in the upper house of parliament, and will need opposition support to get more controversial issues through. Some measures have already been leaked.

They include a switch to largely free childcare, billion euro investments in housing and combating climate change, the introduction of road pricing, changes to the student loan system and research into expanding the use of nuclear power.


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Read more: Dutch, English

Anti-government/COVID-restrictions protest in the Hague livestream.

Nu live https://youtu.be/IVYPoer1itc

Dutch government confirms it has legally binding agreements with the World Economic Forum in response to questions asked by Forum voor Democratie parliamentarian Pepijn van Houwelingen. It is unclear what these agreements actually are, but the fact that any at all exist is worrying.

https://twitter.com/PvanHouwelingen/status/1471823702883024902

JUST IN - Netherlands to impose hard lockdown effective from tomorrow until at least January 14th (NOS)

@disclosetv

UPDATE - Dutch PM Rutte has just confirmed the nationwide hard lockdown in the Netherlands because of #Omicron.

@disclosetv

Livestream of anti-COVID restrictions protest going on in the Hague RIGHT NOW.

We zijn weer in den haag nu 💪💪💪💪

https://youtu.be/akxf72H-hk0

19.12.2021 Dutch🇳🇱 Feyenoord 𝕳ooligans vs 1312

19.12.2021 Holland🇳🇱 Inside players bus Ajax Amsterdam

Compulsory vaccinations might be coming in january 2021.

"The Trojka (ministries of economic affairs, social affairs and financial affairs) advises to explore the pros and cons of vaccination/booster nudges/obligations soon."

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2021/12/18/kamerbrief-inzake-maatregelen-nav-het-134e-omt-advies

NOW - Truck loaded with #Corona crashes in the Netherlands (RTL)

@disclosetv