(June 27, 2025 @ 14:00 CEST)
No new investigation into affair of former chairmen of the House of Representatives Bergkamp and Arib, but measures against civil servants
Chairmen of the House of Representatives Bosma (PVV Freedom Party) wrote this to the House on behalf of the board. The board expects that a new investigation will not yield more facts than the National Criminal Investigation Department has already uncovered.
However, the presidium concludes that the actions of the then clerk of Bergkamp (left liberal D66 party) and the director of Housing are "not acceptable". That is why it is now being investigated whether the employment contracts of the two can be "revised". But that takes time and the outcome will probably not be made public due to privacy considerations, says Bosma.
The presidium will not express an opinion on the role of former chairmen of the House of Representatives Bergkamp, even though the case got out of hand under her chairmanship. Bergkamp's former clerk, Simone Roos, and the director of Housing Jaap van R. urged the presidium to investigate Arib's conduct after two anonymous complaints from employees. The presidium then gave the order for this after advice from the state attorney.
It later emerged that the two civil servants had withheld information. For example, Van R. was secretly closely involved in writing one of the complaints. Clerk Roos was aware of this at one point, but did not tell the presidium.
Roos and Van R. also concealed the fact that there had been contacts with an NRC journalist for weeks about Arib and unrest in the civil service organization of the House of Representatives. These contacts had already been there long before the presidium decided to initiate an investigation into Arib (Social Democrats party PvdA).
The investigation was leaked to NRC before Arib himself was aware of it. The newspaper published an article about it that ultimately led to Arib's departure from politics. "The then director of Housing had frequent telephone contact with the NRC journalist before, on and after 28 September and discussed undesirable behaviour within the House organisation", writes Bosma. "He also spoke to the NRC journalist for about an hour in the House building on Thursday 29 September."
The director did everything he could to keep these conversations secret. Bergkamp and clerk Roos also destroyed various documents and app traffic from the period prior to the newspaper article. The presidium invited Roos and Van R. to provide an explanation of the findings of the National Criminal Investigation Department, but they do not want to cooperate.
Roos says that such a conversation cannot take place due to private circumstances, and Van R. has indicated that he will not accept the invitation "as long as the criminal proceedings have not been completed". Van R. is still suspected of leaking, an official crime.
(June 27, 2025 @ 12:45 CEST)
Implementation of stricter asylum laws remains unclear, support from PVV and CDA parties uncertain
After more than 15 hours of debate in the Lower House, there is still no answer to the question of whether the Netherlands will have a stricter asylum policy in the foreseeable future. Because two crucial parties, the PVV and the CDA, are not sure whether they will support two laws that should limit the influx of asylum seekers.The Lower House debate was about the Asylum Emergency Measures Act and the dual status system, created by then PVV Minister of Asylum and Migration Faber. And the position of the PVV and opposition party CDA was watched with tension. As the largest party with 37 seats, the PVV is essential in the Lower House, opposition party CDA has a key role in the Upper House. Without the support of the senators there, the laws will not be passed either.
When the PVV was still in the coalition, party leader Wilders was full of praise for Faber's plans to introduce "the strictest asylum policy ever". But now the PVV is still letting support hang over the market.
Wilders wants a much stricter migration policy and that was also his reason to leave the coalition with the VVD, NSC and BBB earlier this month. After the fall of the cabinet, the PVV is back in its old opposition role and has a plea: the asylum policy must be much stricter.
PVV MP Vondeling brought this message clearly forward in the debate. There must also be an immediate withdrawal of the dispersal law, illegality must be punishable and the 'laws of Faber' must not be tinkered with, she states.
The IND has repeatedly warned of problems. CDA leader Bontenbal wants a few months' delay. "I'm not going to sign the cross," he told the government parties VVD, NSC and BBB, who are hoping for his support. "I have to be sure that something will still work in two, three or four years."
BBB asylum minister Keijzer (left in photo next to justice VVD minister Van Weel) tried to increase the pressure on the CDA. "I warn you: if it doesn't go through, the problem will only get much bigger."
(Source: NOS.nl)
(June 23, 2025 @ 10:00 CEST)
Party D66 changes course on migration: asylum applications only outside the EU
Refugees should apply for asylum outside the borders of Europe. D66 leader Jetten advocates this in an interview with the AD. "The current migration system is broken," says Jetten. "We will have to move from migration that happens to us to migration that we control ourselves."
However, the possibility should remain to invite asylum seekers to come here. The latter is already happening on a small scale via the UN refugee organization UNHCR.
Jetten states that the Netherlands has been talking about a different migration policy for too long in vain. "That is bad news for the Dutch who experience inconvenience from people who actually have no business being here. But it is also bad news for refugees who are stuck in lengthy procedures or have to make dangerous boat trips across the Mediterranean."
According to the D66 leader, centrist parties like his should "not leave the migration discussion to the flanks". He further emphasises that people within his party find the change of course "exciting", but at the same time "necessary". "Because continuing on the current path is also not possible."
D66's idea of not processing asylum applications in the EU is not new. The EU migration pact, which is due to come into effect in a year, also states that asylum seekers must be screened at the external borders.
(Source: NOS.nl)
(June 21, 2025 @ 21:15 CEST)
Large majority of PvdA and GroenLinks party members support full arms embargo on Israel
The party members of the PvdA (Social Democrats) and GroenLinks (Green Left) voted by a large majority at the congress in favor of a temporary full arms embargo on Israel.
Tensions within GroenLinks-PvdA have been running high in recent days over the new Israel course. Several prominent PvdA members, including former party leaders Job Cohen and Lodewijk Asscher, submitted a motion to thwart the party's new course.
Party leader Timmermans therefore decided to give an extra speech at the start of the congress. In it, he called on the members to remain calm. "Respect differences of opinion" and "don't let each other go," he said.
Particularly among PvdA members, there was occasional commotion when the motions on Israel were discussed. Eventually, a vote was taken during the joint congress of GroenLinks and PvdA. It was already apparent during the voting explanations, including those of former PvdA minister Jan Pronk, that a large majority of the members supported the full arms embargo.
Eventually, the counter-motion by Cohen and Asscher was rejected by 80 percent of the votes.
(Source: NOS.nl)
(June 12, 2025 @ 20:45 CEST)
Political parties PvdA and GroenLinks to merge next year
Last week, members were able to vote online on the merger. Now that the vote has been in favor, work will begin on establishing a new joint party. In 2026, the party boards will come up with a proposal for a party name, new statutes, and an organizational structure. The members will then be able to vote on this.
The new party will not be present for the upcoming Second Chamber elections. However, in last week's online referendum, the members did agree that the two parties would participate together on October 29, 2025.
(Source: NOS.nl)
(June 4, 2025 @ 20:00 CEST)
Advice from the Electoral Council: Second Chamber elections on Wednesday, October 29
When choosing the date, the Electoral Council takes into account various interests and legal provisions. Organizing elections requires a lot from municipalities and the volunteers that are needed for this. Municipalities need time to be able to organize elections carefully.
