News Blog Netherlands July 30 2025

Amsterdam Stock Exchange 18:00 (CEST): AEX 909.41 (-0.06% to the previous day)

UN War Crimes Tribunal Rules Former General Mladic to Remain in Detention

(THE HAGUE) A UN war crimes tribunal has rejected the request of former Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic to be released on medical grounds.

The now 83-year-old Mladic is serving a life sentence in The Hague for his role in the civil war in the former Yugoslavia between 1992 and 1995. He was convicted, among other things, of genocide in the Srebrenica enclave in 1995.
According to the court, the former general's health is fragile but stable. The judge believes he can receive adequate care at the UN detention center in The Hague where he is being held.
Mladic's medical condition is unknown. This was omitted from released documents accompanying the ruling. It is known, however, that he suffers from cognitive impairment and has been hospitalized at least twice this year.
"Irrefutable medical opinions show that Mladic is nearing the end of his life, which is the fate of all people," Judge Graciela Gatti Santana said. She added that he does not have an acute terminal illness that would justify his release.
Under Mladic's leadership, more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica in July 1995. Mladic claimed that he had not ordered the ethnic cleansing and that the soldiers acted independently, but the court ruled that he lied about this.
(Source: NOS.nl)

Cocaine discovered in tree trunks in Rotterdam port

(ROTTERDAM) During an inspection in the port of Rotterdam, customs officials found 380 kilograms of cocaine. The drugs, with a street value of approximately €28 million, were hidden in a shipment of tree trunks originating from Brazil. Eight men were arrested in connection with the discovery.

On July 11, customs officials discovered the drugs in two containers containing tree trunks, but subsequently delayed their action until they were retrieved. A week later, one of the containers was retrieved and taken to a warehouse in Breda. Police arrested several suspects during the unloading, according to Rijnmond broadcaster.
They are three men from Schiedam (aged 27, 38, and 44), two men from Vlaardingen (aged 33 and 42), a 38-year-old man from Dordrecht, and a 34-year-old man of no fixed abode.
The court ruled this week that all suspects will remain in custody for an extended period. It's not often that drugs are found in tree trunks at the port. Cocaine is usually smuggled into the Netherlands in shipments of fruit. For example, at the beginning of the month, a 220-kilo shipment of cocaine was found in a shipment of bananas from Peru.
In this case, too, the police waited to intervene until the container was retrieved. When that happened, it turned out the drugs had been delivered to a warehouse in Zeewolde.
There, the police arrested seven suspects.
And yesterday, during an inspection in the port of Rotterdam, 54 kilos of cocaine were found in the structure of a container. The container containing bananas originated in Ecuador and was destined for a company in Poland. According to the Public Prosecution Service, that company had nothing to do with the smuggling.
(Source: NOS.nl)

Economy News: The Dutch economy is still growing, but 'losing steam'

(NETHERLANDS) The Dutch economy has grown very slightly in recent months: by 0.1 percent compared to the first three months of this year. According to the latest figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), this was mainly due to increased investments and increased government spending.
For more than a year, five consecutive quarters, economic growth in the Netherlands has been steadily declining. "The economy is slowly losing steam. This may also be related to geopolitical unrest. Businesses are feeling uncertain about the trade war and its implications," says CBS chief economist Peter Hein van Mulligen.

Investments by businesses and the government are primarily focused on increased transportation, such as ships and aircraft. This also includes defense spending, which saw a peak. That doesn't happen every quarter. On the other hand, the intention is for defense spending to reach 5 percent of the economy in the future. So if that does happen, you could expect that spending to contribute somewhat to economic growth in the coming years.
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the government is also spending more on healthcare every quarter. This is due to the continued aging of the population in the Netherlands. At the beginning of the year, there was still a lot of investment in construction, but that has declined in recent months.
The statistics agency's figures do show an increase in the mining sector. "Mining saw some growth again last quarter, especially gas extraction," says Van Mulligen. "More gas was also imported into the Netherlands. However, that sector is no longer as large, so its contribution to growth was limited."
The figures also show that households have recently spent less on hospitality, clothing, and recreation. According to Van Mulligen, these expenditures were considerably higher in the first quarter. In previous quarters, household consumption actually contributed strongly to economic growth. Last quarter, however, it didn't. This could be a one-off, because it's certainly not because we all have too little money. Consumers have plenty of money to spend, mainly due to last year's high wage increases.
Our economy has indeed grown somewhat in the past year, and although the economy is "losing steam," that doesn't automatically mean we'll be in the red in the coming months. "Whether the next quarter will be a negative remains to be seen," says Van Mulligen.
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) expects limited economic growth for 2025 as a whole.
(Source: NOS.nl)

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TODAY'S NEWS IN THE NETHERLANDS IN BRIEF

- Economy News: Loss-making NS wants fewer trains on quiet days: 'Sharp choices needed'
The Dutch Railways (NS), which has been struggling since the coronavirus crisis, is slowly recovering, but is still struggling financially. In the first six months of this year, the country's largest carrier posted a loss of 60 million euros. A year ago, this loss was 65 million. To overcome its problems, NS is making significant cuts, but further "sharp choices" are inevitable. For example, the carrier is exploring ways to manage trains and staff more flexibly. This could mean, for example, running fewer trains on certain routes on popular work-from-home days like Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. (Source: NOS)
- Dutch Police Introduces New Collective Bargaining Agreement: 8.5 Percent Salary Increase
Police officers have a new collective bargaining agreement. Starting December 1st, they will receive a gradual pay increase totaling 8.5 percent. This was agreed upon by the police unions, outgoing Minister of Justice and Security Van Weel, and Chief of Police Janny Knol. Salaries will be increased five times over the next few years, by 1 to 2 percent, until the increase reaches 8.5 percent on July 1, 2027. The new collective bargaining agreement runs until mid-December 2027. (Source: NOS)