Dutch political party, GroenLinks, has returned to their plan of giving every Dutchie €10,000 when they turn 18 years old — with some key differences.
Now, instead of the money being given as cold, hard, cash it can only be used for study and training — for the first five years at least.
However, from the age of 23, the lucky youth will be able to spend the cash on whatever they want.
New and improved
The original plan was announced two months ago but received a lot of criticism. In the original version, the recipients could do what they wanted with the money from the get-go.
Groenlinks leader Jesse Klaver says the plan has now been improved. “Young people indicated that 18 years old is sometimes too young to make wise choices and that at this age it can put too much pressure on families with a debt problem.”
The first plan received a lot of criticism on all fronts. According to RTL Nieuws, some critics believed that it is character-building for a young person to start out “poor” and that this amount of cash could disrupt families. Others believed that €10,000 wasn’t enough money.
Who foots the bill?
With stacks of cash going toward every young person, you may be left wondering whether taxpayers are left footing the €2.2 billion bill.
The answer is, yes — but only the very rich taxpayers. Millionaires will pay an extra one percent tax on their assets each year, and multi-millionaires will pay an extra two percent.
Fight against inequality
Groenlinks is focusing their upcoming policies on young people and their future. “In the past decade, insecurity and inequality among young people have increased,” says Klaver.
The party, therefore, wants to promote equal opportunities for young people. “For an increasing number of people, the penny has dropped that, also in the Netherlands, opportunities are determined by where you were born, what your parents earn and whether you are going to study.”
What do you think of this renewed plan? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
In the US, former presidents are being vaccinated on camera to show the public that the vaccine is safe. Now the question in the Netherlands has risen: should Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Dutch royal family follow suit?
The three most recent former US presidents, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton hope to promote public confidence in the new coronavirus vaccine with their new awareness campaign. They want to do what they can to encourage people to get vaccinated.
Former President Obama says he may end up getting the vaccine on TV or having it filmed, as soon as it’s ready for people who are less at risk.
“People like Anthony Fauci, who I know, and I’ve worked with, I trust completely,” he said in a SiriusXM interview. “So, if Anthony Fauci tells me this vaccine is safe and can vaccinate, you know, immunize you from getting COVID, absolutely, I’m going to take it.”
Should Rutte and the king do the same?
Some people in the Netherlands are now suggesting a similar campaign would benefit the Netherlands, according to RTL Nieuws. Prime Minister Rutte was asked if he would be vaccinated in front of TV cameras.
A spokesperson for the prime minister responded that “In the Netherlands, we are following the vaccination policy properly.” He says that when the time comes, Rutte will be vaccinated “but how that will happen, we will not anticipate yet.”
Minister of Health Hugo de Jonge doesn’t want to commit to a public vaccination yet either. Neither of the ministers is particularly vulnerable and they will not be in the first group vaccinated in the country.
Balkenende on-board
Former Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, on the other hand, might just go for it. He tells RTL that “Any action can, of course, only be taken in consultation with others, but I would consider it.” Balkenende says he feels very positive about the vaccine.
Too personal for the royal family
For the Dutch royal family, representatives say simply that the vaccination “is a private matter.” Neither the 53-year-old King Willem-Alexander nor the 82-year-old Princess Beatrix (who falls into the first round of vaccinations), will likely be filmed receiving their vaccinations.
“That is too personal. Even if it may help a little, they are not going to do it,” says royalty reporter Rick Evers.” He says they will likely publicly urge people to get vaccinated “but they will not put themselves in the spotlight while they are vaccinated.”
Not too personal for royals elsewhere
However, while it may be too personal for this royal family, this type of public health display is not uncommon. In 2016, for example, Prince Harry of the British Royal Family had an HIV test performed on live TV to highlight the importance of testing.
The British royal family has also been very vocal regarding their family’s vaccinations for MMR, and polio vaccinations in 1950.
Even as far back as 1805, Indian queens modelled for the world’s first vaccine to encourage participation in the smallpox vaccination programme, captured in a painting commissioned by the East India Company. Suffice it say, vaccinations aren’t such a personal matter for royalty in the rest of the world.
Do you think the prime minister and Dutch royal family should receive vaccinations publicly? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
Students from the Groningen fraternity and sorority Vindicat have been suspended for the rest of the year after throwing a party on a bus against all coronavirus measures.
A video of the party that came out on social media shows that the students did not wear face masks or keep their distance. Between thirty and forty students took part in the party which the bus company called “completely out of hand,” reports RTL Nieuws.
Buses are allowed to be at full capacity, but passengers must remain seated throughout the journey and wear face masks. Boostbussen, the company who these students rented from, advertises “corona-proof tours throughout the Netherlands.” But in the video, an employee can be seen who does nothing about the party, reports AD.
The owner, Nico Kooistra, explained that they do not normally see things like this. “This didn’t go well. Nobody wore a face mask. Normally we are very keen on that.” She added, “We organize more of these types of trips, but they always go according to the measures. For example, we do a health check and we, therefore, have the duty to mask. That didn’t go well last night.”
Vindicat comments
The student association emphasized that the party was not arranged by them, but that they are investigating who was involved. Chairman Wessel Giezen says holding such a party was “bizarre”. The chairman says, “We must first identify who is involved. There are penalties for this.”
Since then, some suspensions have been made but investigations are still ongoing as to who organised the party, as well as which individual was heard telling people to stop filming on one of the videos.
What do you make of this student party? Tell us in the comments below.
I hail from one of the most populous countries of Asia (read most polluted), and to me, even the cigarette smoke outside Schipol airport smells fairly clean. Call it being eco-conscious or even thrifty — cycling as a way of life, along with tiny electric cars and gleaming solar panels contribute to the charming outdoors in the Netherlands. But in this seemingly eco-conscious culture, something else I’ve noticed doesn’t add up.
In my early months in the Netherlands, I’d spends hours in the neighbourhood supermarkets where even the not-so-authentic Indiaase gerechten made me feel closer home. However, while local Albert Heijns and Jumbos helped alleviate some homesickness, they did make me sick of something else — the omnipresent plastic.
Plastic, plastic everywhere
Rows of cling-wrapped aubergines and cucumbers resembling a certain condomed something, buckets of snoepgroente, citrus, and onion families sitting in plastic wicker, corn cobs packed in plastic with a plastic tray and bananas staring glumly out of the hideous Chiquita bag; all adorn the supermarkets. Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbages are given the same plastic treatment.
When the eco-warrior in me had screamed herself hoarse, I tried to choose only loose produce. The result? I had to completely give up certain veggies. (Try finding coloured bell peppers without plastic). Also, I had to bring my own produce bags, or else use the clearly harmful (and free!) clear plastic bags.
Food, stationery, and household cleaners; everything is touched by the curse of polyethene. Even the very few bulk bins force us to buy stuff in plastic boxes of various sizes.
Plastic laws too elastic
It is astonishing that a country so developed could be so lax about plastic consumption. Many shops warrant mindless consumption of single-use plastics. In fact, in their seasonal magazine, one of the supermarket giants justifies their use of plastic by terming food wastage a bigger problem than plastic.
Neighbouring Germany and Sweden are pioneers of efficient recycling and reduced rubbish. Whereas the Netherlands uses less than 10% recycled plastic in a year. (I wonder where all the plastic waste I painfully segregate goes. Floating happily on the high seas?)
Among other attributes, the Netherlands is possibly also one of the biggest lovers of bureaucracy. When mandating a facemask during a raging pandemic takes over a month, the government might well debate the plastic issue for the next few years. Also, the cabinet has ruled that all plastic needs to be recyclable by 2025, but will it?
Bursting the plastic bubble
In a land that is pro-choice, consumers are given no choice but to buy plastic in some form or the other. As the supply chain ends with us, the onus of dealing with the waste also falls on us. And in the present scenario, after living several hours of professional lives from home, we just cannot muster the energy to do much separation, plastic or not.
What if businesses are made responsible instead? Perhaps then will our local AHs and Jumbos look closer at Asian supermarkets that use indigenous materials for packaging. Or take inspiration from package-free grocery stores that are mushrooming in trendy LA.
Meanwhile, we might have to moonlight as superheroes to combat the caustic plastic. I, for one, on learning about food miles, took advantage of this time to grow my own veggies. Also, jogging to the supermarket armed with cloth bags finishes my weekly dose of exercise. And those who treat themselves to chips after all the hard work (as I do), you could actually convert all non-degradable crisp packets to blankets. Food for thought, eh?
What do you do to save the world? Tell us in the comments below!
This year has brought about a lot of change. However, some things stay the same: like the Netherlands, which is still a Dutch-speaking country, and therefore many expats are still looking for ways to learn the language.
But not only are we interacting with our family members and colleagues through our computer screens, but also with our teachers. Many Dutch language courses have migrated from the classroom to a Zoom call.
Don’t be shy, participate (in Dutch!)
Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles when it comes to learning a language is confidence. The process of learning Dutch inevitably involves speaking it very poorly — and many of us are not up for that constant hit to our egos.
Practicing your skills in the real world is often forgotten. Using a language doesn’t usually take place online. This means that putting your skills to the test in the real world is still a very important element.
Put all that theory into practice and try and complete your interactions with your barista or cashier in Dutch. What’s great about these kinds of conversations is that they are “dead ended,” meaning that they’re not only predictable but also limited given the circumstances.
This way, you don’t need to fear running out of things to say and you can also get over your fear of messing up in front of natives.
Take advantage of the flexibility of online lessons
What’s great about online lessons is that you can suit them to your schedule. Are you a night owl who feels most productive after dinner? Schedule an evening lesson. Are you an early bird? Get yourself that morning time slot!
This is an element of online learning that students could really stand to benefit from. Make the most of the flexibility that online lessons offer. Don’t stick to the model of lessons at a fixed time that isn’t convenient. Instead, plan lessons when you’ll be most focused and ready to give it your all.
Find yourself a nice quiet corner
Get yourself set up in a nice quiet space. Image: Nick Morrison/Unsplash.
This one may be obvious, but just remember that while it’s great to find yourself at home, you don’t need to be in the middle of your house’s latest drama segment.
Did someone find a mouse in the kitchen? That’s unfortunate, best to study in your room. Did one housemate slap the other? Golly, you’d better remove yourself before the furniture goes flying — and you lose your concentration on de vs het.
After all, you have limited cognitive resources and who wants to waste them on household drama?
Learn actively
However, just because you may find yourself precariously close to your bed, this doesn’t mean you should burrow yourself into the sheets and watch your lesson.
There are two types of screen time: passive and active. Passive screen time is when you can embrace your inner couch potato, whereas active screen time is — you guessed it — when you’re more alert and take in more information.
It’s important to make sure your screen time when learning Dutch online is active, and the best way to ensure this is through both your mind and body.
Try to treat online lessons like offline lessons and make sure you’re body posture and attitude reflect a learning intention. Both posture and attitude greatly influence the brain’s ability to take up new information.
Add offline learning to your online learning
Add offline learning to your online learning. Image: Glenn Carstens/Unsplash.
It is also important to remember that learning actively often includes taking things off the screen during a lesson. Many studies have shown the benefit of handwriting over typing in terms of memory consolidation. Our brains are far more likely to remember something if we write it down as opposed to typing it out.
It’s also great to remind yourself that your learning doesn’t stop once you close your laptop. Make sure to post handy post-it notes on your household items. This directly wires the object to the Dutch word in your brain.
You can also throw some stickers up next to your bathroom mirror. Dutch is Dutch — even if it’s spoken with a mouthful of toothpaste.
Turn off Google Translate
Online learning doesn’t just happen during a lesson, it’s also every time you open a webpage or look something up. Challenge yourself to understand Dutch by disabling your trusty friend Google Translate.
This one is going to be hard, but grab yourself a strong coffee, click that button and try to spend some time immersed in the Dutch web. You’ll be surprised at how much you can understand with a bit of blinking and squinting.
Unlike Google Translate, your computer can also offer some helpful tools when it comes to learning Dutch. Take streaming services such as Netflix for example. Search for films/series in Dutch and challenge yourself. Watching Dutch Netflix with Dutch subtitles is extra learning time without the extra effort.
If you’re seriously doubting your abilities you can always opt for English subtitles! You could also go vice versa and watch shows in your native tongue with Dutch subtitles.
Record and review (with permission)
In keeping with this theme, you can also ask your teachers if it is okay to record their online lesson. This way, you can look back over the lesson when revising your notes. Certain services allow you to screen record — just always make sure to ask for permission!
Make a schedule — and stick to it!
Organise your lessons and plan what you want to learn. Image: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels.
Draw yourself up a daily schedule. Decide what you are going to learn and let it be something that adds to some semblance of structure in your life.
Set goals and celebrate milestones
In drawing up a schedule, you can also set goals for yourself. Even better? You can set the goals together with your teacher so that you can focus on learning anything that you may need specifically.
Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound.
Learning Dutch can be challenging but it’s also rewarding — and it’s important not to forget that. Did you achieve everything you wanted this week? Celebrate with a doughnut! Be kind to yourself and acknowledge your mad skills.
Find a tutor that is right for you
Learning Dutch is a service that you pay for, so you should also make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Does their teaching style suit your learning style? Do the two of you see eye to eye when it comes to what it is you want to learn? Do you get along?
All of these elements play a key role when it comes to how much you enjoy the lessons and how quickly you can make progress.
Making sure that your teacher fits you in terms of your learning style, their personality and the like is important not only to make sure that the lessons best suit you and will lead to fast progress. It’s also key in terms of making learning fun. Your Dutch tutor is ultimately there to help you, make sure you found yourself the right one!
There are good reasons why you should embrace online Dutch courses. For example, you don’t have to worry about missing your bus, or getting stuck in the rain.
Online classes also don’t require you to be in the same country as your tutor. Thanks to their flexibility, you never have to miss a lesson and you can always stay up to date with your Dutch learning, wherever in the world you are.
What are your best tips for learning Dutch online? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Restaurants and cafes in 50 municipalities are threatening to open their doors on January 17, regardless of coronavirus measures.
The restaurant industry is fed up, according to Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN). The NOS reports that restaurants plan to open and stay open in the new year, whether or not it’s allowed.
The statement from KHN follows the announcement made last week by Minister of Heath Hugo de Jonge that we have to assume we’ll remain in partial lockdown until mid-January.
This timeframe won’t work for the business owners, who have already reached a breaking point, as their cries for government support throughout the coronavirus crisis have gone unanswered.
“For the time being, the uncertainty and pain do not seem to reach the cabinet,” the national organization wrote in a statement earlier this week. Now, many business owners say they’re left with no option but to disobey the rules.
“The water is no longer up to the lips”
“The now absolute financial necessity, the lack of future prospects from the cabinet and, in particular, the inconsistent government policy, leave us no choice: we will open on 17 January 2021 under strict conditions of the KHN protocol and remain open,” the press release states.
“For the catering industry, the water is no longer up to the lips, now it flows into the mouth,” said Johan de Vos, spokesperson for the business owners, in a statement last week. “We are about to drown out.”
Who is participating?
While KHN’s national organisation does not support the campaign, members of 50 local branches (out of 230) are participating. It’s unclear how many companies are involved but the initiator of the movement speaks of “thousands.”
Businesses from KHN branches in Breda, Maastricht, Leiden, Leeuwarden, Eindhoven, Arnhem, Nijmegen, and Alkmaar are all joining in the campaign.
Local branches in the country’s largest cities — Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht — on the other hand, are not.
The cabinet’s response
A government spokesperson has responded to KHN’s announcement, saying that they are following the course of coronavirus in determining next steps.
The cabinet plans to make a decision regarding the coming period next week, but this is susceptible to change based on developments in the virus.
What do you think of the restaurant industry opening in spite of government measures? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Of the 355 municipalities in the Netherlands, one-third have never appointed a female mayor, new research has found.
This includes Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Groningen, Tilburg and Breda, who make up five of the ten largest cities in the Netherlands.
To make matter worse, there are still 103 municipalities that currently don’t have any female aldermen elected.
Meanwhile, Druten in Gelderland, Staphorst in Overijssel and the Brabant municipalities of Woensdrecht and Mill and Sint Hubert have never had a female councillor.
The figures, compiled by knowledge platform De Collegetafel for the trade magazine Binnenlands Bestuur paint a disappointing picture of the Netherlands and equality in positions of power.
How are mayors appointed in the Netherlands?
Mayors in the Netherlands are not elected via popular vote. Instead, the city council presents a shortlist of mayors to the King and the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations who then make the final appointment. Each term is six years, and a mayor can be reappointed after that period.
Female mayors slowly increasing
Of the mayors in Dutch municipalities, females now make up almost one-quarter of the total. There are currently 85 serving mayors who are female — but it’s taken a long time to get to that number.
Miranda de Vries, mayor of Etten-Leur and member of the Council for Public Administration says that diversity on boards is important. Not just for gender, but also for different ages and ethnic backgrounds.
“In order to achieve that, it is sometimes necessary to make extra efforts,” she told NOS. “For example, not only to wait and see which people will apply for a position but also to actively approach some and make them believe they are suitable.”
She says that female mayors in major cities act as vital role models. “It is really important that Amsterdam, in the person of Femke Halsema, now has a female mayor for the first time in history. And that Sharon Dijksma has been appointed in Utrecht as the third woman in history. I also say it during school visits. to girls: “If I can become mayor, why not you?”
Are you surprised by the lack of female mayors in the Netherlands? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
This week has made history for PostNL as the postal service has delivered 10 million packages and can no longer process all orders.
The service has had to leave packages behind at webshops because it has nowhere to place and process all the orders.
The company tells the NOS that this is the first time this has happened. “Unfortunately, we now have to say to webshops: sorry, this is what we can collect, the rest we will do a day later.”
Some webshops are now indicating to customers that they may have to wait longer to receive an order, however, this depends on the shop. “Some indicate: allow for a longer delivery time. Or they give priority to certain products.”
Black Friday crowds and closures
The postal service tells the NOS that it believes the boom in online orders may have been caused by the recent closures of shopping streets following heavy crowding in city centres.
Mayors called on people to avoid the crowded city streets and instead order packages online. This, in combination with the coronavirus and beginning of Sinterklaas celebrations, has caused a record-breaking strain on PostNL.
The service has asked that if anyone wants to return a package, they do so after the celebration of Sinterklaas.
Other services still running
However, not everyone’s Sinterklaas packages will be delayed. Services such as DHL are still able to serve their current webshop customers. Although, they have said they will not be taking on any new businesses for the time being due to the high pressure that the service is under.
Webshops, such as Thuiswinkel.org have told the NOS that “of course it sucks, but there are also circumstances that were not entirely foreseen.” The company also has other courier services to rely on, such as DHL, DPD and GLS.
Other webshops also believe PostNL’s delays won’t affect their delivery times. Bol.com has also claimed that “the vast majority of the packages will be delivered on time.”
Phew, that’s a lot of packages! Will these delays affect you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Two people were injured in a stabbing incident on Wednesday that took place in the Albert Heijn on Grote Marktstraat, The Hague. Police warn that the suspect is still on the loose.
Emergency services rushed to the scene around noon. The two victims were immediately rushed to hospital, one of whom was an employee of the supermarket, reports NU. The current condition of the victims has not been disclosed.
The fire
Emergency services received reports of a fire at the same place and time, which was extinguished by emergency personnel. Police are not sure if there was a connection between the fire and the stabbing, but this is currently being investigated. The circumstances around the cause of the stabbings are also still unclear.
Suspect detained
The culprit fled the scene after the stabbing, and police hunted down the suspect with helicopters. He is described by police as a tall, thin, tanned man around 30 years old.
Witnesses say he was wearing a black jacket, tracksuit and grey shoes. The latest reports claim the suspect has now been detained by police.
Suspect detained. Unconfirmed reports in Dutch media suggest one of the two victims was a supermarket employee, who intervened as a group of young men were attempting to steal from store #denhaaghttps://t.co/2cy3cXBOuQ
Support for Zwarte Piet has continued to decline throughout the Netherlands, the latest survey by I&O Research finds.
The research firm carries out surveys on the matter of Zwarte Piet every two years in the Netherlands. In this year’s survey of almost 2,300 Dutch people, the polls have shown a significant drop for support of Zwarte Piet’s traditional appearance.
The percentage of people in favour of Zwarte Piet maintaining the black face makeup in 2020 is now 39%. Four years ago, this percentage was much higher at 65%.
A divisive topic
The Zwarte Piet debate in the Netherlands has been topical for quite a few years now. There are many who believe that Zwarte Piet embodies a racist colonial hangover, whilst others will argue that the figure is part of a harmless children’s tradition.
One solution to the issue of Zwarte Piet has been to introduce alternative Pieten such as Sootie Piet or Grey Piet. Some alternatives have been met with more success than others.
I&O Researches survey found that the number of people who would be in favour of alternative Pieten — such as Sootie Piet — has increased, with the percentages rising from 44% to 50%, half of all Dutchies.
Age groups that saw the most drastic change in regards to alternative Zwarte Pieten, were those in the 50-64 and over 65’s category.
In 2018, 62% of over 65-year-olds were in favour of Zwarte Pieten with black face paint. In 2020, this has dropped to 44%. Similarly, among those between 50-64, support for black face Zwarte Piet dropped from 53% to 38%.
What do you think of the findings of this survey? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
