DutchNews Podcast

Rob Jetten and Henri Bontenbal give Dilan Yesilgöz a taste of her own medicine by shutting the VVD out of the first round of coalition talks. Employers are struggling to entice workers to go back to the office, while the VVD quietly ditches plans to protect migrant workers from exploitation. Limburg protests against the removal of exhibits at a a US war cemetery honouring black liberators. The prefabricated houses donated to Zeeland after the devastating 1953 floods get heritage status. And we explain how there could be as many as five Dutch teams at next year's World Cup.

National train chief Wouter Koolmees defies expectations by getting the first stage of coalition talks under way with only a slight delay. But will Dilan Yesilgöz' pledge to deplatform GL-PvdA shunt the whole exercise into a siding? The housing crisis intensifies as private landlords sell off student flats and a project to convert empty buildings fails to make an impact. The cabinet controversially scraps measures designed to protect migrant workers. Company bikes prove a hit as the cost of travelling to work increases. And Ajax's head coach John Heitinga is told to pack his bags after yet another crushing night in the Champions League.

The podcast delves into the nail-biting election results, where Jetten inches ahead of Wilders, and key parties grapple with unexpected shifts. A dramatic terror trial unfolds involving 'sovereign citizens' accused of plotting violence. In sports, a goalkeeper's premature jubilation makes headlines, alongside Vitesse Arnhem's ongoing legal woes. Amsterdam celebrates its 750th birthday with a colossal strawberry cake, while reflections on King Willem-Alexander's reign add a royal touch to the discussions.

D66 look set to become the largest party in the new Dutch parliament in a shock result that sees Geert Wilders' far-right PVV lose a dozen seats. The VVD do better than expected and finish ahead of GroenLinks-PvdA – whose leader Frans Timmermans announced his resignation after we recorded the podcast – and the CDA. With Rob Jetten likely to get first dibs on forming a coalition and at least two viable options, the coalition building process may be more straightforward than expected. And we look at some of the surprises further down the line, including a boost for Forum voor Democratie and the return to parliament of the volatile pensioners' party 50Plus.

Clip from October 10 Dutch News podcast on the rise of D66 in the election campaign

A low-key election campaign staggers into its final days with a flurry of minor squabbles about refugee centres, religious schools and whether the animal rights party is too pro-human. House prices could be peaking as private landlords sell off their rental properties. A crisis looms in the German car industry after China hits back at the Dutch government's takeover of Nexperia. Eurostar sends double-decker trains into London, but too late to save Ajax fans from witnessing a horror show against Chelsea. And PostNL collars the market in robot delivery services.

In the absence of Geert Wilders, the election debates kick off with an evening of shadow boxing between four parties who could all end up in government together. The Dutch government removes the CEO of a Chinese-based chip manufacturer, but was Washington pulling the strings? Rotterdam's Cape Verde community celebrates as the tiny African country makes it to the World Cup for the first time. And the city's rat catchers have an unlikely ally in their fight to control the rodent population.

The election campaign heats up with rumours of a meltdown in the VVD, Henri Bontenbal being roasted on the dance floor and Volt blowing a fuse over the radio debates. Dutch universities speak out against budget cuts after slipping further down the international league table. Police announce a breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of a 19-year-old Hungarian sex worker. Forest rangers crack down on illegal mushroom picking in Brabant. And can Dick Advocaat round off his footballing odyssey with a calypso flourish in Curacao?

The election campaign gets off to an ominous start as Amsterdam puts up billboards with an American accent and Geert Wilders goes rage-canvassing on Twitter. The government bows to pressure to allow a handful of wounded children from Gaza to be flown to the Netherlands for treatment, while coming under pressure to stop sending fighter jet parts to Israel. You'll need a big pile of capital if you want to buy the house in Overijssel where Karl Marx wrote large parts of his seminal work. And in sport, Go Ahead Eagles are the highest fliers in an otherwise miserable week for Dutch football clubs in Europe. Karl Marx house for sale: https://www.funda.nl/detail/koop/zaltbommel/huis-gasthuisstraat-12/43892914/

The eruption of far-right violence in The Hague destroys the fragile hopes of a civil, constructive election campaign. Housing minister Mona Keijzer keeps Marjolein Faber's legacy alive by ploughing on with her asylum policies in the face of a withering assessment by the Council of State. More than 40% of voters say Gaza will influence their choice on October 29 and half want tougher sanctions against Israel. The Dutch Rugby Union decides to allow trans players in women's teams. And Rotterdam's Blijdorp zoo hatches a plan to rescue a batch of stowaways from Iceland. Link to Italian member of the resistance: https://www.vprogids.nl/podcasts/lees/artikelen/2024/Luciana--Italiaanse-overgrootmoeder-blijkt-verzetsheldin-te-zijn.html