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From today, Dutch police will refuse to fine people for minor violations

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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From today, Dutch police will refuse to fine people for minor violations

We’ve all seen it, some poor soul falling victim to a Dutch police officer and their notepad. However, from today, Dutch police will stop fining people for minor violations.

Minor violations usually consist of things such as putting your bins out too early, fishing outside of fishing season and also speeding.

So, why are Dutch police suddenly so forgiving? Because they want things to change.

Early retirement for police officers

Since 2021, a temporary policy has allowed police officers to retire three years before state pension age.

Now, police unions want to make this permanent — but The Hague has yet to do anything about it, RTL Nieuws reports.

READ MORE | What are your rights as an international working in the Netherlands? We asked the experts

This is why, from today, the police will have a new approach to minor violations.

Here, have a voucher

Instead of slapping you with a fine, police officers will instead be handing out different, less expensive sheets of paper: pamphlets.

More specifically: pamphlets that lay out their wishes from the government.

Now, that’s one way to protest.

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Princess Amalia wants to keep her €1.5 million yearly salary after all

Lottie Gale 🇬🇧
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Princess Amalia wants to keep her €1.5 million yearly salary after all

Turning down €1.5 million is a decision that would probably play on your mind. Well, three years after doing just that, Princess Amalia wants to claim her inheritance back.

Despite originally turning down her state income and expense allowance during her studies, the Princess will now begin accepting reimbursement, NOS reports.

READ MORE | The Dutch and their monarchy, a two-sided coin

She needs the money for “foreseeable costs associated with an independent and autonomous performance of her position”, as her letter to outgoing Prime Minister Rutte revealed:

Translation: Princess Amalia informed Prime Minister Rutte in a letter today that she will no longer refund her income as of 2025.

Threats, not debts

Some of the money will go towards “a secretariat and reservations for living and working accommodations” after it was revealed in 2022 that the Princess was facing serious threats.

READ MORE | Dutch Princess Amalia turns 19! Buuut she still can’t leave the house

The eldest daughter of the King and Queen lived and studied in Madrid for the past year as a security measure. But she is now back in Amsterdam.

Breaking down the big bucks

As of January 1, 2025, she will receive the money every year. Must be a nice way to start the New Year. 👀

READ MORE | Do the royals pay taxes in the Netherlands?

When the figures are adjusted for inflation, this amounts to a whopping €322,000 salary for royal responsibilities and €1,509,000 for additional expenses.

While the princess will continue to give back her €322,000 salary, she will now be keeping the casual €1,509,000.

The Princess’s letter cites “surprising circumstances” as the reason for her change of heart.

She initially received praise for being a “socially conscious” royal, as the first member of her family to waive an allowance.

We guess this now makes her the first to un-waive an allowance too? 🤷‍♀️

What do you think about Princess Amalia’s decision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Endless TikTok queues might force this Amsterdam business to shut down

Lottie Gale 🇬🇧
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Endless TikTok queues might force this Amsterdam business to shut down

Going viral on TikTok makes you big news, with bigger queues. That’s the case for tiny chip shop Fabel Friet in Amsterdam, but now it’s looking more like a recipe for disaster.

The small shop on the Negen Straatjes has become so popular that they have started employing crowd controllers to keep the queues in check, AD reports.

But that’s not enough, according the Amsterdam municipality.

@carterfordays fabel friet: best fries in amsterdam🥰 #fabelfrietamsterdam #fabelfriet #amsterdamfoodguide ♬ Jersey Giant – Elle King

From crispy fries to court case

The TikTok queues are causing chaos, with tourists overwhelming every stroopwafel stall or snackbar that gets some online attention.

READ MORE | TikTok hype has tourists paying €13 for ONE stroopwafel in Amsterdam

The problems starts when the line starts forming outside the front door — which is now a daily occurrence for Fabel Friet on the Negen Straatjes.

Why’s that? Well, as the crowds build, awaiting their warm parmesan or truffle mayo-coated goodness, complaints from residents are building, too.

And now, the municipality has to intervene for the first time.

READ MORE | Snackbars in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide

City officials told Fabel Friets they cannot have more than 10 people in line, and they will have to close their second till until those waiting have been served.

But this left a chip on the shop owners’ shoulders: they said that was not possible and took the issue to court.

Have they had their chips?

Fabel Friet has tried its best to keep its doors open while still making the most of its stupe-fry-ing success. 😋

The queue is diverted onto a nearby bridge so it doesn’t block the road, they offer a simplified menu to speed the order process, AND they clean up all waste in the area at the end of each day (even if it’s not chip cones).

You don’t have to look far on TikTok for the Fabel Friet hype! Video: Screen recording/Lottie Gale

But at least 77 locals have complained about the inconvenience caused by the huge queues, with the municipality’s lawyer even calling it “a major burden” at the hearing.

READ MORE | ‘Friet’ or ‘patat’? The ultimate guide to Dutch fries

If these residents appeal against Fabel Friet’s operating permit as planned, the company will have to cash in its chips — a.k.a. close its doors. 😳

In an attempt to keep its business alive, Fabel Friet is asking for a 20-person limit rather than the city-sanctioned 10. The future of their fries is now in the municipality’s hands.

Have you tried the famous Fabel Friet fries? Let us know in the comments below.

Pro-Palestine ‘protest camp’ at University of Amsterdam ends in violence and 125 arrests

Lyna Meyrer 🇱🇺
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Pro-Palestine ‘protest camp’ at University of Amsterdam ends in violence and 125 arrests

Yesterday afternoon, protesters in Amsterdam set up a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ on the Roeterseiland campus of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The protest ended in violence and arrests.

When the demonstration began at noon, about 20 tents and some 300 people were present. Then, it gradually grew bigger.

The reason for the protest? The university should cut ties with businesses and academic institutions in Israel, as Het Parool writes.

Students and teachers among the protesters

The protest camp was inspired by similar initiatives that have been taking place around the United States over the past weeks. There, around 2000 students have been arrested so far.

In Amsterdam, besides hundreds of students, dozens of teachers were also present at the demonstration, supporting the cause and the students behind it.

Violence and arrests

As the protest grew bigger, it was eventually disrupted in the evening.

As NU.nl reports, a group of about ten men is said to have confronted the protesters, beating them with torches and throwing fireworks at them.

It is unclear what motivated the group to instigate violence against the protesters.

In the evening, protesters blocked off the protesting site using pallets and fences from a construction area. They also removed bricks from the ground in multiple locations.

Outside the barricaded protest area, people holding Israeli flags are also said to have sought confrontation with the protesters.

Police had to step in

As violence escalated and turned towards the police, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, police and municipality agreed to evacuate the protest camp late at night.

“Bricks and fireworks were thrown at us. One colleague suffered hearing damage,” a policeman tells NOS Radio 1 Journal.

With megaphones, protesters were asked to leave and briefed about the possible legal consequences if they didn’t.

With dozens of vans and police dogs, protesters were removed from the site. Those who refused — about 125 of them — were eventually arrested. The first of them were released this morning.

By 4.30 AM, the demonstration was largely over, and people were led to buses to get home.

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Give Rotterdam’s new city surf pool a wave — it’s almost ready!

Lottie Gale 🇬🇧
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Give Rotterdam’s new city surf pool a wave — it’s almost ready!

You don’t have to wait much longer to strip down and get gnarly in the centre of Rotterdam. RiF010, the world’s first surf pool in the middle of a city, will be filled with water today!

It’s been a few years in the making, but the construction of the surfing lake by the famous Food Hall is on track for its July opening, the AD reports.

RiF010 might be the first surf experience of its kind, but you can also bodyboard, dive, paddle board, canoe and (because it’s the Netherlands) even CYCLE. 🌊

How long till surf’s up?

Filling the tub will take around five days. But you’ll have to wait a few months before making a splash. 🧘‍♀️

The surfing lake officially opens to the public on July 6, 2024, when the Rotterdam Surf Open will take place.

READ MORE | Surfing in the Netherlands: where to go and what to know in 2024

The international surfing competition will give visitors a chance to see some super surfers in action.

Book your slot

Already raring to go? While the RiF010 site states no reservations are being taken yet you can buy SurfCredit starting at €50.

You can reserve timeslots from mid-June. An hour of surfing (board included) costs €50 on a large wave and €35 on a smaller wave.

READ MORE | 24 best and free things to do in Rotterdam in 2024

If you’re more spectator than a surfer, the restaurant and beach house on the Vlasmarkt will be ready in June. 😎

You can keep up to date with the construction progress via RiF010’s live stream. 👇

How does it work?

Some say surfing is a science — and the RiF010 set-up is no different. 💦

The future beach house will have a purification unit in the basement, treating the water that comes from the Rotte River.

READ MORE | Hikes and walks in Rotterdam: 12 places for the perfect nature escape

Then, when the tub is full, various tests with a wave machine will follow.

The pool is specially shaped for the waves to break, and the waves can be adjusted depending on the standard of surfing.

Maybe surfing will become the new cycling? Just when I thought commuting in the Netherlands couldn’t get any wetter. 🌧

Will you be visiting RiF010 in the summer? Let us know in the comments below.

This Dutch airport ranks 2nd most stressful airport in Europe (and we’re not surprised)

Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
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This Dutch airport ranks 2nd most stressful airport in Europe (and we’re not surprised)

Everyone wants to get away on a holiday to relax — but it seems like the airport is the final obstacle before you can finally rest.

And of all the airports in Europe, the beloved (or dreaded?) Amsterdam Schiphol Airport was named the second most stressful hub, according to StressFreeCarRental.

What makes Schiphol so stressful?

Schiphol was given flack for being one of the busiest airports in Europe, for charging passengers €113.50 to park there for a week, and for its high departure delay score. 👀

Another stress-inducing factor is Schiphol’s distance from Amsterdam’s city centre.

READ MORE | Chaos at Schiphol: why the biggest Dutch airport is struggling so much

But to come to the airport’s defence, public transport in the Netherlands has many easy and convenient options to get you to and from the airport — so we’re not counting that one. 😉

The criteria and rankings

To find Europe’s most stressful airports, they were ranked based on these five stress-inducing factors:

  • Number of passengers,
  • Distance from the city,
  • Number of destinations,
  • Car parking charges, and
  • Departure delays.

READ MORE | Here’s why flights from Schiphol will soon be more expensive

Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, took first place, scoring high on departure delays, passenger volume, and expensive parking charges.

Curious about the rest of the list? Check it out:

RankAirportCountry
1Charles de GaulleFrance
2SchipholThe Netherlands
3London HeathrowThe United Kingdom
4RomeItaly
5AthensGreece
6MadridSpain
7LisbonPortugal
8DublinIreland
9BerlinGermany
10ZagrebCroatia

Have you flown through any of these airports? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below!

Forget fast food, you won’t believe what Dutch wall vending machines are selling now

Lottie Gale 🇬🇧
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Forget fast food, you won’t believe what Dutch wall vending machines are selling now

Picture a Dutch wall vending machine: the gleaming windows emit heat and the smell of food. You tap your card, a door opens to release the goods — it doesn’t get better than this.

Or does it?

We know Dutchies love eating their favourite fried food from vending walls. But now there’s much more on the menu of these machines, RTL reports.

READ MORE | What your favourite Dutch FEBO snack says about you

Looking for flowers, fast? Need bike lights badly? Kids craving cotton candy?

You can now find all these and more in one of the 50,000 wall vending machines across the Netherlands.

They come in all shapes and sizes

For example, the Hoog Catharijne shopping centre in Utrecht is where you’ll find your cotton candy fix from a recently revealed machine. 👇

@uncoveredjourneys In Hoog Catharijne in Utrecht staat deze leuke suikerspinmachine met allerlei vormpjes en kleuren 🍬🥰 Echt leuk om een keer uit te testen! 🤩 #food #foodie #utrecht #hoogcatharijne #suikerspin #suikerspinmachine #foodtok #foodtiktok #foodguide #foodreview #foodlovers #cute #nl #vlog #cottoncandy #cottoncandymachine #foodspot #snack #snackbreak #snackidee #leuk #hoogcatherijne #hotspots ♬ That Couch Potato Again – Prod. By Rose

You’d also be forgiven for confusing some of Utrecht’s student accommodations with a swanky hotel based on the products available in their lobby’s vending machines.

photo-of-fancy-vending-machine-with-vr-headset-and-other-tech-in-utrecht-student-accommodation
Not pictured but also available to rent: an air fryer and microwave. Image: Lottie Gale

Elsewhere, it’s common to find vending machines that dispense medicine in pharmacies, cleaning products at car washes, and tampons in toilets.

Some offices even have machines that offer USB sticks or phone chargers, so they truly range from the practical to the pretty (the flower machines take the crown there). 😍

They can even double as fridges for chilled groceries like milk, eggs, or meat.

Since the machines are cooled, contactless, and quick, the options are becoming endless.

This is why Marco Brouwer, director of Jaski Automaten told RTL, “we’re going to see more and more of them”.

READ MORE | 15 weirdly cute things Dutch people do

In the end, it’s all fun and games. Literally: if you’re playing sports, many gyms will have vending machines for equipment.

And in some hotels, Easytoys provides equipment for other kinds of adult, ahem, fun. 👀

If you could buy anything from a vending machine, what would it be? Let us know in the comments below.

This Dutch billionaire family will clear A THOUSAND families’ debts for years to come

Lottie Gale 🇬🇧
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This Dutch billionaire family will clear A THOUSAND families’ debts for years to come

The billionaire Van der Vorm family from Rotterdam are paying off the debts of 1000 families in poverty every year for the next three years. Sounds generous, right? Well, not everyone is convinced.

Debt is piling up for around 15,000 families living in poverty in Rotterdam, and the Van der Vorms want to stand up for the suffering children, NU.nl shares.

How exactly are they achieving this benevolence? Well, aside from having the booming bank account for it, they will rely on their own empire.

Who are the Van der Vorms?

Mysterious Martijn van der Vorm, the media-shy head of the family, built up the family’s global business empire in Monaco. 💸

The 61-year-old Dutchman’s family is estimated to be worth a total of €8.5 billion, mainly thanks to their huge investment company, HAL.

How does it work?

Families in Rotterdam with at least one child who have experienced challenging living circumstances in the past seven years are top of the list for the generous act.

They will not have to pay anything back, and anyone can register for it.

READ MORE | These are the best banks for expats in the Netherlands

Firstly, part of the family’s philanthropic institution will handle creditor negotiations. Then, Fonds de Loods, the Van der Vorm’s debt relief company, buys off the debt in one sweep.

The budget for this project has not been officially shared. However, the average cost of paying off all debts for one family is approximately €2,700, so that would mean a total of over €8 million.

Gratitude, but also attitude

The Van der Vorm generosity has come under fire for only offering a short-term fix for a much larger-scale social issue.

Godfried Engbersen, professor of sociology at Erasmus University, believes it promotes inequality because, “For some this is a lottery ticket, while others are left with debt,” he told NU.nl.

READ MORE | The 2024 guide to private housing and social housing in the Netherlands: what’s the difference?

And the problem is far from over, since “we have to be careful that we become increasingly dependent on private initiatives,” Engberson continues.

It’s less about questioning the initiative’s value and more about maintaining the government’s responsibility to prevent severe debt.

When the results of a study conducted in collaboration with the municipality are revealed, we’ll see how effective Van der Vorm’s project is.

How do you feel about this initiative? Do you agree with the criticism? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

This is the most expensive parking space in the Netherlands (and you’ll never guess its price)

Lyna Meyrer 🇱🇺
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This is the most expensive parking space in the Netherlands (and you’ll never guess its price)

What would you do if you suddenly came into half a million euros? You could buy your very own home in the Netherlands, TWO Bentleys, or maybe… a parking space in Amsterdam?

Yes, you read that right.

Conveniently located right at Amsterdam’s stunning Vondelpark, the Netherlands’ most expensive parking space is listed for sale on Funda for a whopping €495,000. That’s what RTL Z‘s financial journalist Eric Rezelman found in his research.

“Absolutely not worth half a million”

Despite its fabulous location, Rezelman believes that a parking space is “absolutely” not worth this exorbitant price.

(… Especially if we consider the fact that it’s right next to a park where it is legal to have public sex. 👀)

In the area where this parking spot is located, homes go for — brace yourselves — up to €7 million. However, the rising housing costs around the country are not the only reason for such a shocking listing, as Rezelman explains.

READ MORE | How people park their cars in Amsterdam is downright terrifying (video inside)

To discourage car use, parking costs in city centres such as Amsterdam and Utrecht are also increasing rapidly, with hourly rates for parking reaching up to €7.50 per hour. 😳

The most expensive in the country

Though this is the most expensive parking spot in all of the Netherlands, it’s not the only one of its kind.

Neuwegein, a municipality near Utrecht, is home to the second-most expensive parking space, listed at €350,000. Meanwhile, a happy owner in Utrecht is selling a spot for €300,000.

How much would you be willing to pay for a parking space? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Today, you can get PAID to use your electricity in the Netherlands

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Today, you can get PAID to use your electricity in the Netherlands

Nope, we’re not joking. Believe it or not, sometimes you can actually help energy suppliers by using electricity — and instead of charging you, they’ll pay you for it.

Today is one of these magical days. Specifically, this afternoon between 1 PM and 3 PM, nu.nl reports.

However, before you crank on your dryer, boil multiple cups of tea, and blow dry your cat’s hair, let’s clarify a few things.

You need to have a specific energy contract

Firstly, you must have a dynamic energy contract. Under a dynamic energy contract, the rates for your electricity use vary from hour to hour.

These rates are determined by the supply and demand for energy.

READ MORE | Utilities in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide to gas, electricity, and water

However, on certain days, like today, the rate will actually turn negative, meaning you will receive money instead of being charged.

Note: The true rate today will be -20 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) used. However, suppliers will include taxes and surcharges, bringing the amount you earn to nine cents per kWh. This amount may vary slightly between suppliers.

Put simply, today, you will receive nine cents per kWh of electricity used between 1 PM and 3 PM.

So, if you have an electric car, this is the time to charge it!

Why today?

Two glorious circumstances have converged to cause this unusual shift.

Firstly, it’s going to be sunny and warm, which means solar panels will generate a lot more power than they have over the past few days.

This will produce a lot of extra electricity. However, it’s also Labour Day.

You know, the day the Netherlands might not celebrate by having a day off from the office, but many other European countries do?

READ MORE | Holidays in the Netherlands: when are the public, national, and school holidays in 2024?

With fewer office buildings switching the lights on today across Europe, the Netherlands will feel it.

“When companies shut down, there is less demand for electricity. We also benefit from that,” Frank Breukelman of Zonneplan explains this to nu.nl.

Want the latest Dutch news to come zooming through the internet to your inbox? Dat kan! Subscribe to DutchReview’s weekly roundup 📮

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