Four Dutch people tragically lost their lives near the Dutch-German border yesterday, while a fifth was injured.
As the groups were driving along the A3 highway towards Cologne at around 10:45 AM, their three cars were involved in two successive accidents.
The four victims are three men aged 39, 42 and 56, and a woman aged 37. A fifth person was slightly injured.
What happened?
As a spokesman from the German police tells the NOS, it had rained hard shortly before the accidents had occurred.
It is believed that a 42-year-old driver from Voorhout, who was driving a Porsche Cayman, lost control on the wet road surface and ended up in a ditch. Initially uninjured, the driver and his 37-year-old passenger were able to free themselves from the car.
A second Porsche, driven by a 39-year-old man from Nieuwegein, saw the accident and stopped on the side of the road to help the occupants of the first vehicle.
As the three people were waiting for help on the side strip, a 56-year-old man from Waterland also lost control of his car, a Porsche 911, and ran into them.
One survivor
As a consequence, two people died on the spot: the driver (39) that tried to help and the female passenger (37) of the first car. The two other drivers suffered fatal injuries — one of them died in the trauma helicopter and the other one at the hospital.
In the third vehicle, the Porsche 911, was a passenger whose age has not been disclosed. According to German police, he survived the incident with minor injuries.
Through him, they hope to learn more about the circumstances of the accident.
Most likely a group
All the cars involved in the accident had Dutch registration plates. The police, therefore, assume that the drivers were travelling as a group.
The police also believe the accident may have occurred because the cars had not adjusted their speed to the water on the road. There is no evidence of an illegal car race.
A seven-year-old girl died and a five-year-old boy has been left seriously injured following a collision at 8 AM with a public bus in Utrecht.
What happened exactly this morning is still unclear, the NOS reports.
For now, bus traffic is not passing through Vleutenseweg in Utrecht, and most buses are being diverted through other routes.
Eyewitnesses of the accident can report to the police station at Kroonstraat in Domstad for any victim assistance.
Support from Utrecht mayor
The mayor of Utrecht, Sharon Dijksma, gave her support to the relatives of the victims and emergency workers via Twitter:
Wat een drama. Mijn hart huilt. Ik wens de nabestaanden en betrokken familieleden alle kracht en sterkte. Ook alle steun voor onze hulpdiensten op wie dit grote impact heeft. 🙏 https://t.co/IzhL4uexJS
“What a tragedy. My heart is crying. I wish the relatives involved all of the strength. Also all of my support for our emergency services on whom this has a major impact. 🙏”
Victim support
The area was cordoned off after the accident. Those who were on the bus at the time of the accident were brought to a nearby cafe for immediate victim assistance.
Our thoughts are with the relatives and those affected.
A call to scrap temporary rental contracts in the Netherlands is receiving majority support in the Dutch parliament. The call is part of an attempt to tackle the housing insecurity and high rent that comes with these types of contracts.
In an attempt to tackle the Dutch housing crisis, the House of Representatives (the lower house of the Dutch parliament) are debating whether or not to get rid of the problematic contracts.
And this would certainly be welcome. The move would make indefinite contracts the norm again for many people — and politicians are showing their support in parliament, reports the NOS.
This would make it difficult for Dutch landlords to terminate rental contracts prematurely, leaving renters in a difficult and stressful search for new housing in the middle of a housing crisis.
Temporary contracts (tijdelijke huurcontract) have a maximum rental period of two years, compared to indefinite contracts, which — surprise, surprise, are indefinite.
These are especially popular for students and internationals in the Netherlands who are often unsure about how long they will stay in the country.
This type of rental contract was introduced in 2016 with the aim of increasing the supply of rental housing available. It meant that homes that were only being rented out for a few weeks or months could now be rented out for a longer period of two years.
It kind of backfired. This led to the common problem of landlords terminating the contract before the two-year period, leaving only one month’s notice for tenants to pack up and find a new home.
And let’s face it, Pararius and all the rental agencies can only help so much to find a home in one month…
On top of this, when they are asked to move out, they face a very low supply of homes available, constant scams, and high moving costs.
As NOS write, CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) MP Jaco Geurts says: “the tension of looking for a home again leads to sleepless nights.”
I reflect on the Dutch housing crisis in the Guardian: “The number of homeless people has doubled, a quarter of renters struggle to pay their bills, class differences have become much more acute and young people are having a tough time”https://t.co/qrZ91X0pHu
With temporary rental contracts, landlords are also often in a position of power over their renters. They can introduce rent increases and often aren’t held accountable when they don’t conduct proper maintenance in their homes.
According to D66 MP Faissal Boulakjar, “students are often trapped, live in mouldy houses, but don’t dare to ask their landlords,” the NOS writes.
And every time that they rent to a new tenant — which happens very often with these contracts — guess what? They can increase the rent.
The result? The deterioration of neighbourhoods filled with temporary renters, and a very difficult housing situation for renters.
What’s left to debate?
While most of the parliament is in agreement, final details are still being discussed about the exceptions to this ban, as these contracts are very useful for certain groups.
The PVV (Party for Freedom) is pushing for an exception for elderly people that own their homes but would like to temporarily rent them out.
The CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) party is also pushing for exceptions for short-stay homes and emergency shelters.
There will most likely continue to be exceptions for large families, young people, students and PhD candidates so that they can continue to rent out short-term housing with a five-year maximum.
So at least that’s something for students looking for housing in the Netherlands? 🙃
Dutch Minister of Housing, responds to a young woman (25) who explains that she has no student debt, but some savings and parents who want to act as guarantor and she still cannot buy a house:
However, there are some political parties that don’t want to see a change to the current dumpster fire which is the Dutch housing system.
The VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy) don’t seem to want to make any adjustments to the current system, with fears that the number of rental properties available will decline.
Hugo De Jonge, the minister of housing, says that he doesn’t see much of a point in this solution. He is already addressing high rents with his system of extending the points system to rents up to a maximum of €1,000 per month.
He does, however, support municipalities in not allowing temporary rental contracts in specific neighbourhoods.
Buckle up guys. Let’s cross our fingers, kiss our rental contracts, and see what happens.
What have been your experiences with homeowners in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!
Pondering about whose surname your little one should take when the time comes? The Dutch government just made your life much easier — you can now use both!
Yep, that’s right. The Dutch government has passed a new bill that will allow children born in the Netherlands to have both their parents’ surnames. This law will come into effect from January 1, 2024.
Parents can choose to use a double surname if their baby is born on and after January 1, 2024. The double surname will then apply to any future kiddies that they may have together.
Don’t worry, if your baby was born before January 1, 2024, there is a transitional arrangement for one year after the bill comes into effect.
What does this mean? If you’d like, you can also choose to give any children you had after January 1 2016, a double-barrel surname.
Meaning your munchkins will be running around with a little piece of both of you!
Adopting your heritage
In a statement, the Dutch minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind, says, “Your last name is part of the identity. Your name says something about your family, your history and the people you belong to.”
“This proposal increases parents’ freedom of choice,” he claims in the statement “with this, they can both express their bond with the child through the name.”
With the new law, you can also choose to give your adopted child a combination of their surname at birth and one of the adoptive parents’ surnames.
This is especially great news for many internationals in the Netherlands. Individuals with multiple nationalities who have different surnames in another country finally have a solution with this bill being passed.
This means they won’t have to go through a name-changing procedure to unify their surnames.
Babies born in the Netherlands originally received their fathers’ surnames until 1998, when it became possible to choose mama’s name instead. With this news, neither parents have to miss out on passing on their family name.
However, if you feel like you would be making your child’s name too long, you don’t have to choose a double-barrel surname.
In fact, you don’t have to choose at all. If parents in the Netherlands don’t choose a surname for their baby, the birth mother’s surname will be used if the parents are unmarried or unregistered partners.
With parents in a marriage or registered partnership, the child will receive the surname of the father or co-mother.
What do you think of this new Dutch law? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Public transport strikes are going international! As the NS announced on Thursday, there will be no trains between the Netherlands and Germany on Monday. The reason? Mass strikes.
That’s not all. Since there will be no trains going to, from, or through Germany, some Swiss and Austrian destinations will also be affected.
So, what’s the deal?
Due to nationwide strikes in Germany, all lines running between the Netherlands and Germany will not be operational on Monday, March 27. 🚄🚫
Unsure of whether or not to pack that suitcase? These are the lines that will be affected:
Amsterdam to Frankfurt
Amsterdam to Berlin
Amsterdam to Basel (Switzerland)
All sleeper trains to Switzerland
All sleeper trains to Austria
The NS has informed all ticket-holders on how to cancel or rebook their journey (so if you’re among the unlucky travellers, make sure to check your e-mail! 📧).
All aboard the strike train
Public transport workers in Germany are facing similar issues to those of their Dutch counterparts. According to NU.nl, local labour unions Verdi and EVG demand significantly higher wages and better working conditions.
Since a collective agreement does not seem to be on the cards any time soon, the labour unions are calling for a “Mega Streik” — a mass strike. Uh-oh. 🫢
Trains, trams and busses will not be running, and even aviation personnel are walking away from their work.
Due to a strike by Germany’s VER.DI union, operations at Frankfurt Airport will be heavily disrupted throughout the day on 27 March. Passengers are strongly advised to refrain from traveling to the airport. Connecting flights from FRA will also be affected by the strike. pic.twitter.com/VHIK4zJXNF
The labour unions behind the strike negotiate on behalf of millions of employees. So, you guessed it: nothing will be moving throughout Germany on Monday.
Unsurprisingly, the announcement of this mass strike is already causing chaos among thousands of passengers wishing to travel to and from Germany.
Many of them have taken to social media to express their frustration. 👇
Because of a major nationwide strike in Germany on Monday, my flight has been cancelled. Yay. Seeing how @lufthansa has been handling things so far (you guess well –> poorly), it looks like I’m gonna be stuck in this country for a while.
Anyone in NYC who’d like to meet?
— Jelena Brankovic @jelena3121@mastodon.social (@jelena3121) March 24, 2023
WELP
Due to a Germany-wide strike on Monday, my return flight has just been cancelled. And of course the airline’s support hotline is full.
I can probably get a hotel but I’ll be stuck for a day.
There’s a strike at the airport and my flight home from Germany was cancelled (not mad, solidarity with the workers). I’m in line to rebook now 🤪 pic.twitter.com/8QIFZ87IUR
After three years, the world’s biggest International Community Art Festival is back with its ninth edition! Under the theme of “The Sound of Change,” the ICAF is bringing together artists from around the world — right in the heart of Rotterdam.
Ready to immerse yourself in the magic? Let’s have a look at what the 2023 ICAF has in store for us.
⏰ When? From March 27, 2023 until April 2, 2023. 📍 Where? Across different locations throughout the beautiful city of Rotterdam! 💵 Cost? Starting at €5 per show. 🎟️ How? Tickets for individual performances, as well as ticket packages, can be purchased on the website of the Rotterdams Wijktheater.
Counting down the days to ICAF 2023
We know you might be wondering: What exactly is community art?
Former ICAF director, Eugene van Erven, defined it as all practices that are linked by their “belief that the arts are essential to human life and that everybody should have the right to create.”
It’s a form of art in which people, no matter their gender, culture, nationality, or ability status, come together as a community to do what they love: make art. 🎭🎨
Artists from 20 different countries will be attending this year’s ICAF. Image: Supplied/ICAF
Of course, the best way to understand community art is to experience it, in all its shapes and forms. And what better way to do so than by attending the world’s biggest festival for it?
Around the world in seven days
So, what’s on the menu for this year’s ICAF? (Spoiler alert: A LOT!).
The varied programme of ICAF 2023 is guaranteed to have just the right experience for you — whether you want to learn about gender-based violence in South Africa, or hear an Iranian refugee story told in Dutch Sign Language.
The inspiring creators that will be showcasing their projects hail from all around the globe, and will use their projects to give you an insight into their cultures.
Among the represented countries are South Africa, Singapore, New Zealand, Argentina, Colombia, and many, many others. 🌎
Hailing from Tanzania, Nantea Dance Company wants to encourage connection through love, kindness, patience and empathy. Image: Supplied/ICAF
The programme includes performances, lectures, workshops, and films, showing visitors how art can bridge distances between people, cultures, and the world.
Some highlights include:
GABO: A moving dance performance about the question of what it means to be “different”.
Big Band Basket Beat: A percussion performance in which basketball plays the leading role.
Onyesha Thamani: An intimate performance that uses dance as a voice to offer new perspectives towards gender (in)equality in Tanzania.
Here, Rotterdam locals and families can directly step into the vibrant world of creativity.
Besides the large-scale performances, this programme will also offer community-rooted workshops in locations and public spaces around the city.
The ICAF quite literally BRIDGES the distance between people from all over the globe. 🌉Image: Supplied/ICAF
It is guaranteed to not only get visitors’ creative juices flowing but also to connect Rotterdam locals with each other — as a community.
It only takes place once every three years, so you truly don’t want to miss this chance to check it out!
⏰ When? From March 27, 2023 until April 2, 2023. 📍 Where? Across different locations throughout the beautiful city of Rotterdam! 💵 Cost? Starting at €5 per show. 🎟️ How? Tickets for individual performances, as well as ticket packages, can be purchased on the website of the Rotterdams Wijktheater.
Are you curious about ICAF’s immersive art experiences? Tell us in the comments!
When asked which city in the Netherlands they would like to visit for a weekend, the Dutch had an overwhelmingly clear answer: Maastricht.
We know that we praise Amsterdam all the time at the DutchReview, but today’s focus is on the beautiful historic Dutch city of Maastricht. ✨
A survey by Columbus Travel asked 3000 Dutchies what their favourite municipality is for a city trip within the country — and almost half of the respondent wants to discover Maastricht for a city trip in the Netherlands! 🥇
With all the upcoming public holidays and long weekends, Maastricht could be a perfect destination that is only a train away for most.
Why Maastricht?
Maastricht has a lot of charm with a historical city centre, nature all around, and boat rides along the river Maas.
The historical part of the city draws in a lot of visitors for a walk through the city. There’s also a unique, beautiful bookstore that’s been integrated into the vast old Dominicanenkerk.
Besides all of the parks scattered around the city and along the river Maas, there are also boat cruises that you can hop onto and go up the Maas. From there, you actually go into Belgium for a few moments on the river and smell the crispy Belgian waffles.
Maastricht also has extra bragging points for having one of the highest points on the Dutch mainland. The Sint Pietersberg peak can be seen from most of the boat rides (even though it’s only 171 metres high). ⛰️
The Dutchies voted for the cultural hotspot of Haarlem as the second most popular place to visit for a weekend away, snagging votes from almost one-third of the respondents.
The Columbus Travel editor-in-chief, Mark Mackintosh, says that “The Dutch have become more curious as a result of the corona crisis and are more willing to look beyond the calibrated tourist favourites.”
Charming cities that aren’t the usual big tourist destinations are attracting more and more Dutch visitors. Amsterdam is getting some competition now, as it ranks only 17th on the list for Dutchies.
Ranking
City
1
Maastricht
2
Haarlem
3
Ede
4
Deventer
5
Leeuwarden
6
Groningen
7
Nijmegen
8
Den Bosch
9
Leiden
10
Arnhem
What city would you recommend for a weekend away in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!
The municipality of Amsterdam wants e-cyclists to slow down and enjoy the ride. They’re proposing a maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour (km/h) on cycle paths.
According to RTL Nieuws, Amsterdam alderman Melanie van der Horst hopes to encourage safer travels on the road by lowering maximum e-bike speeds.
Think that 20 km/h is already quite haastig (speedy)?
Well, the Netherlands currently only has a speed limit of 25 km/h for electric bicycles on a fietspad (bicycle path). Other countries have a maximum speed of 32 km/h.
In the bike-friendly Netherlands, cyclists speed down the road without fearing cars. For an American, the prospect is thrilling—and terrifying. https://t.co/9SVvjySRZU
According to police, e-bikes were involved in more accidents in 2022 than in 2019, and with life-threatening results — more people are dying in accidents involving electric bicycles.
We’d definitely rejoice in a slower speed limit — one that we mere humans will probably still not be able to reach.
Would you like a lower speed limit for electric bicycles? Tell Let us know in the comments!
No more cute pet videos and viral face filters during lunch breaks in The Hague. The Dutch government has asked all civil servants to immediately stop using certain apps, including TikTok, on their work phones.
This move comes as part of the Dutch Cabinet’s decision to strongly advise against certain potentially high-risk apps on government officials’ mobile work devices.
Why? According to RTL Nieuws, there are concerns that some apps could lead to government data leaks via the apps on phones. 😮
The government is now working on a plan to ensure that only approved apps can be installed on government work mobile devices — meaning yep, no more scrolling TikTok while civil servants take their breaks.
TikTok isn’t the only victim?
The ban is not purely focused on TikTok — though this is probably the app we’re most bummed about (we’ll miss the VVD TikTok account 🥲).
The Dutch State Secretary for Digitization, Alexandra Van Huffelen, explains that “recent parliamentary questions and international developments have led us to a careful consideration that goes further than advising against one application.”
All apps from countries with an offensive cyber program against the Netherlands are on the list. Meaning that the Chinese-owned app, TikTok, is among them.
The AIVD (Dutch intelligence and security agency) concluded that these apps pose an increased risk of espionage from potential data leaks of sensitive government data.
Even on TikTok — the app where everyone’s dancing, complaining about the Dutch weather or showing off their cats.
While there is little evidence at the moment, there are concerns that the Chinese-owned app could come under pressure from their government and sensitive Dutch government information could be leaked.
Van Huffelegen writes in a letter to the lower house of the Dutch parliament that “the national government must be able to do its work safely, also via its mobile devices.”
How was this decided?
The Dutch government advised the halt on these apps on government phones after the AIVD flagged the risk and a parliamentary majority called for the restriction to be brought in.
Many in the House of Representatives, such as from the VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie, evaluated the risk as too high.
And the Dutch are not alone in this fear. The United States government already agreed at the end of last year to ban TikTok on work phones of government officials for similar concerns over the risk of espionage.
So to everyone working for the Dutch government, we wish you the best of luck without TikTok on your breaks or commutes home, which sometimes, let’s be honest, does help us get through the long work week.
What do you think about this move by the Dutch government? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
