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Brrr! Record cold is freezing the Netherlands

Ceren Spuyman
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Brrr! Record cold is freezing the Netherlands

The end of the dreary cold months might seem close but despite the sunny days, the Netherlands is freezing. Bad news is, it looks like the below-zero temperatures are here to stay. So here is what is awaiting the Netherlands in the upcoming days: from ice skating to tips on how to stay warm!

Coldest start to spring

Looks like freezing temperatures won’t change anytime soon

According to the weather reports, this Thursday will be the coldest day of the whole week. With temperatures dropping to as low as -8, the 1st March 2018 might the coldest since 1947.

With the courtesy of buienradar.nl

And here we are all dreaming of sitting in a park somewhere with a cold beer in our hands and short sleeves on our shoulders. Instead, back to thick sweaters and staying warm it is.

It’s not all bad though: Despite freezing cold, February 2018 has been an extremely sunny month. Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) stated that we have experienced the second sunniest February of all time! I guess you can’t have it all.

Freezing? Grab your skates!

Looks like the cold days are about to get even colder. So what do the Dutch do? Plan their possibility to skate of course (Duh! I can hear the Dutch roar). Dutchies love their cliché role of skating on natural ice. Regardless if we will ever have Elfstedentocht again or not, they are determined to make the most of these frosty days.

The Dutch Skaters Union (KNSB) is planning to announce their first skating marathon on natural ice somewhere today. The host of this fun event will be one of the four skating clubs in the North East of the Netherands namely Noordlaren, Arnhem, Veenoord or Haaksbergen. During a recent talk with the RTL News, marathon coordinator at the KNSB Willem Hut said:

“The question is not whether we can hold a marathon, but where and when we can start, As it looks now, the chances are that we can finally hold a four day event again.”

In order to make the marathon happen, the ice must be at least three cm’s thick. With this weather, we’d say they have a great chance!

What do you think? Will we ever see them compete on natural ice again? Don’t forget to share with us in the comments!

Tips on how to stay warm:

Stay warm y’all!

The cold days might be around for a little longer but at least that means we can continue to drown ourselves in hot chocolate. So here are some of the tips we got ready to stay warm:

1- Layer up!

The golden rule to stay warm goes without saying: Layer up! Throw a legging under those jeans or double your sock game. Better yet? Maybe invest in some thermal wear to wear under your sweaters. When you enter somewhere indoors it is always easy to adjust by taking some of the pieces off rather than feeling the freezing cold while biking around.

2- Get a little help!

Don’t hesitate when it comes to buying gadgets to help you stay warm like hand warmers or a hot water bottle. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option: keep your family pet with you at all times!

3- Let the sun in

Since we are having one of the sunniest February’s of all time. Keep your curtains open during daytime to let the sunshine in. At night time, close them again to fight the cold. It may not make the biggest difference but every bit helps!

4- Warm up with warm drinks

Always keep coffee, tea and hot chocolate on hand. Not only the tastiest way to keep warm but also one of the easiest. You might want to avoid alcohol though. Even though you feel warmer after a shot or two, but this is only because it temporarily enlarges your blood vessels.

What are your go-to-tips for staying warm? Share with us!

A baby was kidnapped this morning and the police needs your help!

Abuzer van Leeuwen 🇳🇱
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A baby was kidnapped this morning and the police needs your help!

A baby was kidnapped in Eersel (North-Brabant) this morning. The half-year-old girl was removed from her parental home by youth care. The police assume that she has been taken away by her biological parents and according to the police, the safety of the child is at risk. An Amber Alert, the Netherlands signal for a missing child, has been sent out.

Kidnapped in Eersel with violence

The man would have taken Hannah, as the child is named, from her carer’s arms this morning when she walked out of a supermarket in Eersel. Bystanders say to Omroep Brabant that he used violence. Then the man and his partner speeded away in a car, apparently a Mercedes.

Immediately after the kidnapping the police asked people via ‘Burgernet’ to look out for the car. An attempt has also been made to contact the parents, but without result. That is why an Amber Alert was sent out at the beginning of the afternoon. The police asks people who see the baby or her parents to call 112 immediately.

We should also look out for a black Mercedes ML 270 with license plate 94-GK-PB

 

A ‘windchill’ temperature of -17 is expected for the Netherlands this week!

Abuzer van Leeuwen 🇳🇱
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A ‘windchill’ temperature of -17 is expected for the Netherlands this week!

There’s this lovely Dutch word called ‘gevoelstemperatuur’ now before you break your tongue by trying to pronounce it, I looked it up on the interwebz to see what the proper English phrase for it is – turns out it’s called ‘windchill’ (instead of the official Dunglish translation of gefeelingstemperature). Good to know since this week the ‘windchill’ will be at a forking minus 17 degrees!

The weather this week in the Netherlands

In the coming days we can expect some real winter cold. Up to and including Friday the temperatures are just below freezing. At the end of the week, the thermometer can drop to -10 degrees in some places at night. During the day it is just below zero, but just like the last few days it can feel a lot colder outside by the wind. That was also this morning: it was 3 to 5 degrees below zero, but it felt a lot colder.

There might be some snow later in the week, the news will give us useless tips like ‘don’t let grandma outside for a ski-adventure of 2 days this week’ and obviously each and every true Dutchie will ramble on about ice-skating (we will too).

This is Amsterdam for the next 7 days, doesn’t look too bad right?

Good luck everybody tomorrow and don’t forget to send us your gorgeous icey pictures!

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Damrak Gin: a Dutch gin you can enjoy at G&T o’clock!

Ceren Spuyman
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Damrak Gin: a Dutch gin you can enjoy at G&T o’clock!

The age of the cocktails is here and so is gin! It is by far one of the most popular drinks out there lately and we can understand why. It is great in so many different ways and it is used in many of the signature cocktails such as Negroni or Tom Collins. Plus, who can say ‘No’ to a big glass of Gin&Tonic any time of the year? That’s why we have decided to bring you all you need to know about this classic drink: from history to recipes (because, lucky us, there’s a great deal of Dutchness about gin!).

Let the good times be-gin (pun intended) with a bit of history

The earliest references of gin date back to the 16th century when the Dutch doctor Franciscus de la Boe Sylvius dives into his lab to look for medicine against stomach pain. Back then, apart from being known as a cure for stomach problems, gin was also used for gout and gallstones. To make it tastier and also better for health, people then decided to add juniper to the recipe.

As we all know even with juniper, gin is still quite strong, so what did they do? Add a bit of tonic and voilà! Here is your G&T. Consumed daily by many for purely health reasons. It’s not only good for your health (it was medicine after all) but tasty as well!

Let’s talk jenever and Dutch gins

Gin was developed on the basis of the Dutch drink jenever and became popular in Great Britain (particularly in London) when William of Orange, leader of the Dutch Republic, occupied the English, Scottish, and Irish thrones with his wife Mary. Surprised? It turns out the Dutch are pretty good at inventing things.

The English came to know the good old gin when they were fighting the Thirty Year War in the 17th century in Holland and saw Dutch soldiers drinking jenever to boost morale before heading into battle. As a result, the English brought the drink back with them. The rest? Shortly after thousands of gin-shops opened overnight throughout England and the period known as the Gin Craze has begun.

DAM! A Dutch gin!

There are many different “jenever cities” in the Netherlands like Schiedam which is perfect for a daytrip, Groningen, Delft, and (of course) Amsterdam. After learning about the history, let’s talk a bit about the taste. What is it like and where do those flavours come from? Since we are better at drinking than investigating on this one, we’ve asked for a little bit of help and teamed up with Damrak Gin!

Dutch gin
When life gives you lemons (or oranges in this case) make a G&T. Image: Damrak Gin

Made by real Amsterdammers and it’s the best DAM Gin from Amsterdam (imho). This Dutch gin tastes really fresh with a sharp kick to it and gets its foreign influences from oranges from Valencia and sunny Curaçao. The culprit of Damrak’s edgy taste is due to a little bit of coriander and subtle juniper. The result? A taste that is slightly sweet and intensely crisp.

The diversity of Damrak comes from its secret ingredient made of 17 botanical ingredients. Some of those are briefly juniper, which gives a sweet and spicy flavour; dried orange peels from Valencia and Curaçao to give a sweet, citrus kick; lavender for its unique aroma; ginger for some freshness; star anise for an exotic twist; coriander for its fresh, spicy taste and finally cinnamon; because everything tastes better with it!

As a result, behold the Damrak Gin: an original Amsterdam gin with a soft taste with a hint of citrus! Yum!

Now that you know a bit more about this heavenly drink, it is time for the best part, the cocktails!

Damrak Gin: cocktail recipes using an awesome Dutch gin

dutch gin
Image: Damrak Gin

What can you do with it? Different from other drinks, gin is actually not meant to be drunk on its own. The taste, influenced by herbs and spices, only comes to life in cocktails and adds complexity to the drink.

Here are some of our favourite recipes to enjoy next time you’re getting your drink on:

#1 Damrak Winter G&T

  • 50ml Damrak Gin
  • 150ml Thomas Henry Tonic
  • 1 Dried orange wheel
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • Ice

Fill a glass with ice cubes until it’s half full. Pour in the Damrak and top with tonic. Garnish with the dried orange wheel. Stir, add the cinnamon stick and get drinking!

#2 Negroni

Image: Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada/Wikimedia commons
  • 30ml Damrak Gin
  • 30ml Galliano l’Aperitivo
  • 30ml sweet red vermouth

For this classic cocktail, pour all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Give it a good stir until your drink is nice and chilled. Pour and strain into a tumbler glass filled with ice.
As the finishing touch, wipe the rim with a slice of orange and garnish a twist. Enjoy!

#3 Damrak Martini

  • 50ml Damrak Gin
  • 15ml Dry Vermouth
  • Olives to garnish

Place a mixing glass and a coupe in the freezer to chill. Combine your gin and the vermouth in your shaker with plenty of ice. Shake well about 20 seconds. Strain into your martini glass and garnish with olives.

When to drink this cocktail? Ideally right after you fought your way through a mob of highly trained killers, chilling at a 5-star hotel bar. (Or if you don’t have a license to kill, any time you want!)

Proost! How do you like to drink your gin? Tell us in the comments what your favourite recipes are!

 

Why are more and more young Italians moving to the Netherlands?

Aurora Signorazzi
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Why are more and more young Italians moving to the Netherlands?

Not much to my surprise, the NOS recently decided to focus on the influx of young educated Italians coming to work in the Netherlands. How come people with a university degree, from a first world country (and the third biggest economy in Europe) are fleeing their undoubtedly beautiful motherland to come to cold rainy Netherlands?

Well, if you read a recently published feature on Nature, it will become clear why more scientists have left the country since 2008 than have entered it, according to statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Italians moving to the Netherlands: Educational system

Italy has a very good educational system. It is free, it is comprehensive, but it is also a bit outdated (especially regarding STEM faculties): you get a lot of theoretical knowledge, but either very little or very budgeted practical experience. That’s why students either go abroad for internships (my personal case) or they become really good at doing research with low budgets (which also make them attractive to other institutes!).

Italians moving to the Netherlands
Source: Nature

Italians moving to the Netherlands: Low pay

Since we are eager to prove our value after years of studying, we are not afraid of earning less than, for example, Dutch people: the lowest pay here is anyway far higher than what we’d get for an average position in Italy, and it’s not like the expenses are that different (especially for big cities like Rome or Milan). If you’re Dutch, imagine that you would get 1250 euro something for a full-time job after leaving college! Yeah, that’s not much huh?

Bureaucracy and funding

Bureaucracy in Italy is a massive monster of which you can’t see the beginning nor the end. If you want to develop a start-up or become an entrepreneur, it is basically impossible unless you have a big bag of money ready to give up. Academic hiring is practically been blocked for decades, and often researchers have to spend a lot of time worrying about getting enough funding to pay the rent rather than about their research.

Politics

Our political system is focused on the elderly. It is not surprising for us to see that the parties campaigning for this year’s national elections are far more interested in attracting old voters (through promises of higher pensions) rather than young ones (by actually increasing qualified job offers). Also, this character is still running this year:

Italians moving to the Netherlands: Anti-science movements

Not unlike many other developed countries, we’ve also seen our fair share of anti-vaxxers, flat-earthers and so on. So much so that our government had to actually make 12 vaccines compulsory, as a measles outbreak with almost 5000 cases exploded last year (six-fold increase compare to the average in previous years). The problem now is that the party heading to have the highest number of votes counts among its members many who supported anti-science campaigns, including that against vaccination.

Why is this situation not changing?

I don’t actually know how to answer that. Maybe it is because so few young people in Italy actually vote; and how are you supposed to influence your system if you’re not participating in its decisions?

Or maybe it is also because so many people, including me, give up and decide they’re better off somewhere else, where the quality of life is much higher and the problems much smaller. To my fellow young Italians in Italy: I applaud your courage, and I hope things will change for the better!

So what are your thoughts on Italians moving to the Netherlands? Are you one that did? Feel welcome to comment!

Museumnacht010 in Rotterdam! Here are 5 events you shouldn’t miss!

Ceren Spuyman
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What is the Museum Night in Rotterdam (museumnacht010)?

Museumnacht010 in Rotterdam is that night of the year where the city comes alive for 5 hours throughout the night – just for the museums! So why should you go to the museum night in Rotterdam?

The museums in Rotterdam stay open after-hours and over 40 locations (!) all showcase performances, art and music. (And allow entry to the museums of course). If the rest of it didn’t sway you already, there is also a chance to get some delicious snacks and cocktails in on the night. It’s a unique event that takes place only once a year, so you don’t want to miss out on this experience.

When and where?

Saturday 3rd of March (that’s next Saturday) and all over Rotterdam from 8pm – 1am!

Tickets

One ticket provides you with entry to all of the events – you receive a coloured wrist band, which you show to get in everywhere. Tickets are cheap – a standard adult ticket is just €17,50 for the whole night. Sometimes you pay that just to enter one museum, so it’s a great saving. Buy your tickets here! (kids are welcome, and those tickets only cost 7,50)

Your ticket does not just grant you entry to the museums, but also includes transportation between the participating locations. You can either take the Museum Night Bus and there are even some MINI’s to and from the Netherlands Photomuseum!

If you already happen to know what it is and can’t wait to go but don’t know what to do exactly that night (here’s the larger-than-life program), then sit down, buckle up and prepare for an extreme dose of culture: cause we have gathered 5 things to enjoy at Museumnacht010

Programme highlights: What you shouldn’t miss during Museumnacht010

1- Flipperkasten Paradijs @ Dutch Pinball Museum

Flipperkasten Paradijs for Museumnacht010

We kick off our list of 5 must-see events during Museumnacht010 with a flashback to your childhood: Pinball Machines! Whether you were hooked on the computer game version or you were lucky enough to get your hands on a real deal, there’s something magical about these machines. During this event at the Dutch Pinball Museum, you’ll get to play with 80 pinball machines from the 1900’s to the present. So it has something for everyone no matter what your age is.

The event kicks off at 20:00 and you can play to your heart’s content till 01:00. Oh, don’t forget to spot some of the DutchReview crew trying to nail the top score while you are at it.

Address: Veerlaan 19-K

2- Babel’s Return from Japan @ Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

Pieter Breughel’s Babel

This one is for the art lovers: İf you know your way around Dutch and Flemish painters from the 16th century, then you must have heard of Pieter Bruegel. One of his most important works ‘The Tower of Babel’  is one of the highlights of the Boijmans van Beuningen, but the art of the famous Japanese Manga artist Katsuhiro Otomo might be the real show-stopper that night.

Katsuhiro Otomo will create a Tower of Babel with lego and video animations. So prepare yourself to be amazed starting from 20:00 till 01:00.

Museum Boijmans van Beuningen will show creations of visual arts, applied art and design and offer an overview of Dutch and European art from the early Middle Ages to the 21st century. It is also one of the top Dutch art museums so it is only understandable why such an event had to be on our list. Get your art on and start counting the days!

Address: Museumpark 18-20

3- Back to the Future l music and cocktails of the past @ Maritiem Museum Rotterdam

Back to the Future for Museumnacht010

As number 3 on our list, we thought it is time to enjoy some drinks in between and what can be a better idea to combine cocktails with this event. (Not that you need to have a reason to get your drink on, you know)

Imagine that it is the year 2048. Where ‘bier’ is a long lost idea and no-one even knows what an “old-fashioned” is. Terrifying we’d say. So enjoy some of the classic cocktails like Gin Fizz, Cosmopolitan and Mojitos with the music of the long gone years of early 2000’s at Maritime Museum Rotterdam at this nostalgic and boozy get-together.

Address: Leuvehaven 1

4- A Date with Cleopatra @ Belasting & Douane Museum

Still not over Valentine’s Day? Then we have some good news for you. As part of
‘Belasting & Douane Museum’ event, you can hang out with Cleopatra and learn about Egyptians from an insider!

Cleopatra will take you through the exhibition of Pharaoh to Fiscus and tells you everything about taxes in Ancient Egypt. Come between 20:00 and 01:00 to be part of it!

Don’t be intimated by the name of this museum (Tax & Customs), who knew the history was full of interesting facts! Did you know that The Roman Emperor Vespasian has introduced the urine load in order to pay for the army? (bet you always wanted to know that right?)

Address: Parklaan 14-16

5- Backyard Sauna l a Celebration of Spring @ PrintRoom

Here is something you don’t come across every day. If you feel like you could use some relaxing, why not join this event of celebrating the arrival of spring with a dip in the Sauna! All that wandering and drinking must be tiresome as hell and what is better than ending the event in a mobile birch wood-fired sauna? Luxurious…

The event takes place in PrintRoom: a presentation space and shop dedicated to artists’ publications based in Rotterdam between 20:00 and 01:00.

Address: Schietbaanstraat 17

BONUS – Night of Cool at Museum Rotterdam

Let’s end this night with a banger! Starting at 22.00 the Museum Rotterdam (right behind cityhall) hosts the Night of Cool. Living icon of the Rotterdam partyscene Ted Langenbach will make sure you can end the night in style.

More info on the Night of Cool right here!

Address:
Rodezand 26

Will you be there on the 3rd? (Here’s why to buy tickets once again) Don’t forget to share it with us in the comments!

Here is how the Museumnight in 2017 went down:

Drugs in The Netherlands: Is Holland becoming a ‘narco-state’?

Renan Alejandro Salvador Lozano Cuervo
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Drugs in The Netherlands: Is Holland becoming a ‘narco-state’?

Is The Netherlands becoming a ‘narco-state’? A police report warns that it is.

‘Narco-state’ is a description used a lot in the Netflix series ‘Narcos’. A show about a drug-infested and cartel-ruled country in Latin America. Of all the words I have ever used to describe The Netherlands, ‘narco-state’ does not even appear on my list. How can it? My biggest safety concern is someone stealing my bike. However, a police report released by the Dutch Police Union (NPB) warns that organised crime and the trafficking of illegal drugs in The Netherlands, is turning the country into one. The 10-page report is called the Noodkreet Recherche (Distress Police Report). It is based on interviews done to members of the Dutch police force and 400 detectives.

Organised crime, sex crimes and a parallel economy of illegal drugs in The Netherlands: What the report says…

The report warns that The Netherlands is slowly resembling the characteristics of a narco-state. It mentions that the Dutch police force is unable to effectively tackle an emerging criminal economy, due to little time, expertise and attention to threats that have gone unattended.

The police report mentions that almost all attention has gone to solving ‘light crimes’, with very little attention given to serious crimes. And this, has had consequences:

“The Netherlands has really become a narco-state in the last 30 years. What we don’t see is not there. And it has substantial growth underground”. Said a detective interviewed in the report.

The Noodkreet Recherche points out that little attention has been given to the serious organised crime leaders that have strived in the country.

‘In the last 25 years, I have seen drug-dealers grow into large entrepreneurs and respected investors with good contacts in politics’. Said another interviewed detective.

Noodkreet Recherche also mentions that crimes against the elderly, sex crimes and cyber scams are on the rise.

drugs in the netherlands
Are police doing enough?

Drugs in The Netherlands: Is The Netherlands really becoming a ‘narco-state’?

It’s really hard to have ‘narco-state’ and The Netherlands in a same sentence. Just saying it feels somehow wrong and inaccurate. However an article form the Volkskrant mentions that far from being visible in plain sight, illegal drugs in The Netherlands are trafficked in online crypto markets. So like the report mentions, it’s really “underground” and away from sight where this happens.

The NPB report also mentions that the police force is in many ways understaffed and under-equipped to handle the magnitude of the problem. The article of the Volkskrant also quotes Pieter Tops, a profesor at the University of Tilburg, who mentions that the very efficient infrastructure in The Netherlands, aid the growth of illegal economies, just as much as they help its legal economy. The advanced ports and digital finance systems the Dutch are famous for, are also used to traffic drugs and move around dirty money.

The Netherlands a narco-state: … But, are you sure you want to call it that?

As someone that lived in a Northern city of Mexico during 2006 – 2012, in the climax of the drug war in Mexico, it feels very weird to read a report that calls The Netherlands a potential narco-state. In a way, I understand why the report does so. If you apply the literal definition of ‘narco-state’ to the things the report points out… Then yes, The Netherlands could be a considered country where large quantities of illegal drugs are trafficked. But man, ‘narco-state‘ like millions of Mexicans understand it? The Netherlands? Yeah, that’s a long-shot… I don’t have enough space in this article to describe what it’s like to live in a narco-state. But I can assure you, The Netherlands is not one yet.

Mexico vs NL

I lived in a narco-ruled city for a long time. I can tell you my experience there was completely different from my time here in The Hague. Lets just say that a country whose police force uses drones and trains eagles to help fight crime is miles away form being a narco-state.

… However, it didn’t start immediately awful in Mexico. The worst of the worst didn’t begin off the bat. It started slowly, and steadily. Hindsight is always 20/20, and it’s crazy for me to look back at the early years of the drug war in Mexico. Especially seeing how cartels started to slowly take over cities and towns. It starts with a little indifference, and then a couple of unattended criminal cases disregarded as ‘1 in a million’. Then the whole thing hits the fan, and you lose control of the whole thing.

tacos drugs
Pretty accurate

I love this amazing orange country and all it has to offer. The last thing I want is for it to become a narco-state. Heck, before reading that report, the idea wasn’t even on my radar. But apparently some good people are concerned about the possibility. So, hopefully things won’t get out of hand, and the next report will show us some good news.

What do you think about this report and the possibility of The Netherlands becoming a nacro-state? Don’t forget to leave your comment below.

 

Dutch Public Prosecution Service aren’t suing the tobacco industry

Emma Brown
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Dutch Public Prosecution Service aren’t suing the tobacco industry

Tobacco companies aren’t getting sued

*Drum roll*

Today (Thursday), the Dutch Public Prosecution service decided against the criminal case to sue the big tobacco firms. Following our story, at the start of this month, we were rooting for a first successful tobacco suing case in history.

  You go guuuurrrllll

 

The case, which has been ongoing for since 2016, was joined by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek cancer hospital in Amsterdam, to sue 4 big tobacco companies. They believed that tobacco companies were not taking responsibly over the increasing illnesses and deaths resulting from smoking tobacco. The argument was regarding addiction and the loss of free-choice for smokers.

Unfortunately, today the Public Prosecution service has decided that the tobacco companies are not violating the regulations regarding tobacco selling and consumption. As a result, users are seen to be informed of the risks. They can decide whether to take them or not. Unfortunately, a case can not be brought forward to prosecute over this.

Historical

The case against the 4 big companies: Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco would have been the first in history to be have successfully been sued. Yet again, another case has been thrown out of the window and the tobacco companies have free-rein again. This is relevant, as the stats are high on the ill-effects of smoking on people in the Netherlands and around the world. Therefore, this won’t be the first and certainly not the last attempt against the big tobacco companies. Better luck next time, I guess.

smoking addiction
Tobacco: an addition or a choice?

Finally, we would love to hear your thoughts on the case. Do you think that the Public Prosecution service has made the right choice? Should the tobacco industry take more responsibility? Let us know in the comments!

If you liked this article on DutchReview and want more news and funny stuffs, what’s keeping you from joining our Facebook-group? (hop hop!)

The PVV Election Manifesto for Rotterdam is (Unsurprisingly) Bigoted

Noah Bloem
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Several days ago, the Partij voor de Vrijheid (The PVV, Party for Freedom) released their 2018-2022 official election platform for Rotterdam. It shouldn’t surprise you to find that it is exceptionally bigoted. As we couldn’t find an English-translation of the document, I’ve taken the liberty of translating the most notable elements:

The PVV's election manifesto and rhetorics in Rotterdam

“The PVV is coming to the Rotterdam, and it is high time because our beautiful city has been hit hard by Islamization. The largest mosque in the country stands here and the streets are filled with headdresses and terrorization.

[…]

The PVV wants to clean up this city. Discrimination and bias against Rotterdammers need to end. We want out neighborhoods back, our safety back, our Rotterdam back:

  1. De-Islamization: No room for Islam in Rotterdam
    1. Closing of all mosques, beginning with the largest in our country, The Essalammoskee.
    2. Ban on Islamic teachings
    3. The closing of Asylum Center Beverwaard and never allow asylum centers in Rotterdam again.
    4. Give priority to Rotterdammers in social housing, and certainly not to those with refugee status.
    5. No illegally offered asylum (so no more ‘bed, bad en brood’)
    6. Alderman for de-Islamization
    7. Removal of the Moroccan Muslim-fascist mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb from office.
  2. […]
  3. Safety:
    1. Hard crackdown on (Islamic) street terror
    2. Racial profiling in the fight against crime.
    3. More preventive searches and more security cameras
    4. More police on the streets and the opening of 24-hour police bureaus
    5. Zero tolerance against violence.
  4. […]”

For the sake of time and relevance to this article, I’ve only translated about half of the document, but it should be noted that the omitted sections also include a desire to remove environmental car zones as well as remove all subsidization of arts, culture, and sustainability projects.

If reading this angers you, it should. Of course, these policies are not surprising coming from Geert Wilders’ ridiculous political party, but that does not make such ideas any less dangerous. During the national elections in 2017, the PVV managed to grab 15,66% of the vote in Rotterdam, just a few votes away from being the largest party in the district. It may not have been enough to claim the power they wanted, but it certainly rings a few more alarm bells.

The PVV’s election manifesto and rhetorics in Rotterdam

The rhetoric used by the PVV speaks for itself. They use the term “Rotterdammers” frequently, and use it to refer to only those that they deem to be Rotterdammers (which, if you haven’t figured it out, essentially means white ‘pure’ Dutch persons). It’s ridiculous, because those that practice Islam, those living in Rotterdam, who have lived their whole lives in Rotterdam, are Rotterdammers too.

Geert Wilders and the PVV represent everything that is wrong with the Netherlands. Their ideas threaten to undermine the core fundamental ideas that make this country wonderful.

I’m not saying that the Dutch have it all figured out, not at all. There is a reason that such extremist ideas have managed to regain a foothold, and a reason that there seems to be such a political and ideological divide between so many people. But offering asylum to refugees, helping to aid those in need, and trying to create a country where people from a multitude of different backgrounds can come together and live, that is what makes the Netherlands great.

Here are 7 other things:

I should also mention that, despite his best efforts to cover it up, Wilders himself has an immigrant background. Truthfully, Wilders is of Indische descent, meaning he has Indonesian heritage. It’s probably also the reason that he dyes his hair blonde. It’s no wonder he tries to hide it, while he continually attacks policies that provide immigrants with the chance at a decent living, the same policies that no doubt allowed Wilders’ family to settle in Holland in the first place.

But we could spend all day picking out the fallacies, hypocritical ideas, and stupidity that lies at the foundation of the PVV’s platform. Instead, let’s focus on what’s important: combating the extremist bigotry that the PVV presents. If we don’t, then we put ourselves at risk of allowing a society to be created where it’s OK to be prosecuted on the basis of your belief or your skin color, and where those that most need aid will be those least likely to receive it.

We should be aiming to make the Netherlands a better place to live. Not the opposite.

Paternity leave in the Netherlands will go up to 6 weeks (well, more or less)

Abuzer van Leeuwen 🇳🇱
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Paternity leave in the Netherlands will go up to 6 weeks (well, more or less)

After the birth of a baby in the Netherlands, the partner of the mother (old customs would dictate the term father) will receive a week’s paid leave from next year. But that’s not the complete story on paternity leave in the Netherlands.

Wait, that’s not 6 weeks DutchReview!

Minister Koolmees presented the new law on Wet Invoering Extra Geboorteverlof aka Law Extra Birth Leave (WIEG – haha), which will make this possible today at, how appropriately, the nine-months fair. Now partners get two days of leave after birth, paid by the employer. From next year on that will be a week.

5 more weeks of paternity leave in the Netherlands

Partners can also receive an additional five weeks’ leave in the first six months after the baby’s birth. In that period they receive 70 percent of their wages. The week of birth leave can be taken in the first four weeks after the ‘bevalling’ . It does not have to be immediate, but can also be done, for example, if the maternity carer (in Dutch ‘kraamverzorger) has just left.

Minister Koolmees says: “When you have a child, everything changes from one day to the next, you are immediately in the rush hour of life, and then of course it is good to have extra time with each other to be able to getting used to life with a baby, which creates a better start for mother, partner and child. The tasks in and around the house and the work are thus distributed better and fairer from the outset, and later on the fruits are reaped,” says Koolmees.

The adoption and foster care leave for parents is also extended, from four to six weeks. With his new law, Koolmees goes less far than the Social Economic Council (SER) advised earlier as to give both parents six weeks of paid leave.

How’s this all done in your country? And do you think 1 or 6 weeks-ish of paternity leave in the Netherlands are enough? Feel welcome to discuss!

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