By Cadence Chua With the new academic year, the Netherlands is welcoming a new batch of students from all over the world. As a newcomer to a country, one of the first things one might want to know is how the political system works there. This is your explainer to Dutch politics.  Government System Before…

By Cadence Chua This Wednesday, on 29 October from 07:00 to 21:30, Dutch citizens across the Netherlands will head to the polls for the second time in less than two years. They will be voting for their preferred candidates to have a seat in de Tweede Kamer (the House of Representatives), following the collapse of…

By Maike van de Pavoordt and Sophie Staal What happens when your degree becomes a budget line? If you are studying in the Netherlands, it might be time to start thinking about that question. Recent shifts in government policy and funding are putting increasing pressure on the country’s higher education system. Non-Dutch speaking programs in…

By Maria van Wijnen Three weeks ago, the Dutch government collapsed after key political parties failed to agree on major issues, forcing Prime Minister Dick Schoof to resign. The far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, pulled out of the coalition over disagreements on immigration policy. This move effectively ended the government, and…

By Maria van Wijnen Last Monday, 25 November, around twenty thousand students, teachers, administrators, and other passionate demonstrators took to Malieveld, in the Hague, to protest budget cuts to higher education. In true Dutch fashion, protestors brought umbrellas and stood in the rain for over two hours while listening to speeches, engaging in chants, and…

On 10 January 2022, almost ten months after the elections, a new Dutch government was sworn in by the king; Rutte IV. Read about the most important aspects of the conclusion to the historic 2021 election cycle in The Herring’s latest article!

The 16 largest parties covered in 200 words per party. Whether you are a voter who is lost in the sea of parties this year or a curious international interested in the Dutch political landscape, this article will give you a grasp of what is out there this year.

The Dutch state system is confusing not only to foreigners but often even to Dutch people themselves. In light of the upcoming Dutch election on the 17th of March, we thought it would be appropriate to try and clarify how the Dutch system works.