Dutch defence policy

The Libyan mission The Netherlands’ participation in the NAVO mission in Libya makes it clear that The Hague is in the process of changing its defence strategy. Defence Minister Hans Hillen strives to remove President Muammar Gaddafi, but he also has to stick to his budget: the Dutch military are facing significant cuts. The International Correspondent asked Professor Doctor Ko... Read More »

The monarchy in the time of the crisis

The government is slashing expenditure. Except when it comes to the hundreds of millions spent on the royal family, whose value is dubious. News agency NOS carried out a public opinion survey in October. A growing section of the public thinks the monarchy should tighten its belt too, and the Queen should give up political influence. Queen Beatrix doesn’t play... Read More »

Dutch pension funds

With 800 billion euros in capital, Dutch pension funds are amongst the largest private investors in the world. Yet many of them are saying they can’t maintain their pay-out obligations. Stock exchange losses, raised life expectancy among the Dutch and a shrinking population have created huge problems. The International Correspondent asked Professor Gerrit Dietvorst, specialist in pensions at the... Read More »

The European debt crisis

  The Dutch are growing increasingly critical of the European Union and participation in the euro currency itself. The continuing credit crisis in Greece and elsewhere is a major contributor to this. Many wonder whether The Netherlands should really be helping to shore up ailing EU member-states. The Dutch blame ‘elite-politics’ in Brussels. Below, Professor Rene Tisser of Nyenrode Business... Read More »

Annemarie van Gaal, international media...

Is there really a glass ceiling? Or is it just a mirage? Annemarie van Gaal started as a secretary to the board of directors of a Dutch publishing firm and is now a media magnate. Annemarie van Gaal prefers to call herself an entrepreneur rather than a publisher. She landed up in the media by happenstance. ‘My motivation is just to... Read More »

Maurice de Hond, pollster

Maurice de Hond is well-known in The Netherlands as an internet entrepreneur and pollster. Since 2002 his market research bureau, Peil.nl, publishes weekly polls on political and social issues. He’s now predicting that The Netherlands, and Europe, are on the brink of drastic change, economically and politically. ‘If the results of last year’s national elections had been just a... Read More »