DutchNews Podcast

As Dutch citizens are declared free from coronavirus, it seems the spirit of Brexit has infected the IND as it blunders not once, but twice on UK citizens' privacy. Dutch skaters dominate the world championships, but all the talk is of what was inside Kjeld Nuis's speedsuit. The debate on how to keep tourists and prostitutes apart in Amsterdam's red light district flared up once again. And find out why some off-colour parrots could land their breeder in jail. Our discussion this week examines why the EU's free trade deal with Canada is meeting strong resistance from Dutch opposition parties.

Ciara blew into the Netherlands this week and left a trail of fallen trees, insurance claims and cancelled bicycle races. Police stepped up their search for a blackmailer who sent four letter bombs to Dutch companies and Chinese migrants spoke out against a surge in racist behaviour linked to the coronavirus. In politics, the Ceta treaty was the subject of a long and emotionally charged debate that stretched into the early hours. And 24 chihuahuas score a victory for the underdog at the Council of State. Our discussion focuses on a thorny problem in North Brabant, where local parties are under pressure to keep the far-right FvD out of talks to form a new provincial coalition.

It's been a turbulent week of naming, blaming and shaming. KLM suspended all flights to China because of fears about the coronavirus, the government cracked down on New Year firework sales and the football authorities announced plans to tackle racist behaviour. Health minister Bruno Bruins condemned people who ostracised Asian tourists on public transport, while Thierry Baudet refused to apologise for his discredited tale of harassment by train staff. And we discuss the implications of the recent court ruling that using algorithms to identify fraud 'hot spots' breaches human rights.

As January stumbles, coughing and spluttering, into its last hours, we look back on a week bursting with apologies. Mark Rutte said sorry for the Dutch government's involvement in the Holocaust, while Arie Slob said 'sorry, there's no more money' to striking teachers. Two ministers were appointed to shake up the tax office, which is still apologising to parents over the child benefit scandal. National train operator NS, meanwhile, made no apology for its approval ratings, while the government thought twice about asking people stranded in Wuhan to pay for their emergency flights home. In our discussion we look at two contrasting approaches to drug policies by coalition parties and ask: can we mention the 'e' word this far out?

Originally this episode was intended as the bonus episode during the Christmas break but we failed to release it, mostlybecause we have the organizational skills of the Belgian railroads. Anyway, here is it and enjoy listening to Paul who tortures Molly and Gordon with Dutch popular culture, history and politics and with random facts about the Netherlands!

This week, there are too many tourists, too many sports injuries and too many pandas puns. We bring you the latest investigation into a 2009 plane crash that doesn't leave the Dutch Safety Board looking very safe and tell you why everyone you know with a PhD always looks very tired. In our discussion, we get into the child benefits scandal and what the government is doing to repair the broken system.

At last we can reveal the results of the most undemocratic vote since the Brexit referendum: our very own Ophef of the Year Awards. Mister Stikstof puts a spanner in the works of Schiphol's expansion plans and joins the chorus of VVD mayors calling for a fireworks ban. Lego is urged to take the Dutch approach to road design, while the tax office also gears up for a structural overhaul. And there are big New Year developments in the careers of an Iranian Olympian and a Dutch YouTube star.

An even more explosive New Year's Eve than usual has forced politicians to talk seriously about banning neighbourhood fireworks. We discuss whether 2019 will prove to be the tipping point in the annual debate about a tradition that leaves hundreds of people injured each year. The Netherlands pulls its troops out of Iraq, Hudson's Bay pulls out of its Dutch stores and Ajax defender Sergino Dest pulls out of the team's controversial winter tour. Plus we've got a red-hot ophef of the week, so be sure to check in with us online, unless you're a certain Dutch celebrity...

It's the final podcast of the year and that can only mean one thing: the nominations for Ophef of the Year are in. We update you on the situation in Duindorp, the tax office benefits scandal and Ajax's exit from the Champions League. There's a tall story about US basketball players bingeing on a Dutch delicacy, and Molly gets to ask Stef Blok the question on everyone's lips: who's inside the Brexit Muppet suit? Click here to vote for the Ophef of the Year: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWkimbZwfMWanQG0w21zCNXOmKacktGvk9T5VEw7fZiB1PFg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Hot gossip, dodgy deals and bureaucratic minefields dominate this week's news. Finance minister Menno Snel comes under fire over the tax office's blunderbuss approach to suspected benefit fraud and tempers flare as The Hague cracks down on New Year beach bonfires. The detention of a teenager who was unaware he was an illegal immigrant sparks uproar, as does Klaas Dijkhoff's decision to trouser thousands of euros for leaving a cabinet post after less than a month. We bring you the fascinating story of the amateur footballer who blagged his way into four professional clubs without playing a game. And just what did Mark Rutte find so funny about Donald Trump that it triggered the president's early exit from the Nato summit?