DutchNews Podcast

As the nitrogen crisis continues to hang over the country like a vaguely threatening cloud, we examine how cutting speed limits became such a hot political potato. A court orders the government to bring home the children of jihadist mothers, while the MH17 takes another twist as prosecutors implicate Russian military commanders. The start of Sinterklaas season triggers the annual tide of rage about Zwarte Piet and GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver is named the brightest star in the Dutch political firmament. And after a six-year absence from international football tournaments, can the Netherlands seal qualification for Euro 2020 this weekend?

It's been a week of false starts and abrupt endings as Schiphol's timetable was thrown into turmoil by a trigger-happy instructor, teachers went out on strike following a double U-turn by unions, a lawyer survived a cross-border assassination attempt and Ajax salvaged a draw from a winning position after being reduced to nine men against Chelsea. We also discuss the fall-out from the recent revelations about a raid by Dutch fighter planes that killed 70 civilians in Iraq.

There's a groundhog day feel about this week's podcast as the builders' protest fills the deep tyre treads left by the farmers on the Malieveld, yet another do-or-die date is set for Brexit and our favourite football manager once again comes out of retirement for one last job. Plus we bring you an 11-year-old shaggy dog story from the Achterhoek and the lottery giveaway that made green-eyed punters see red. In our discussion we step into the legal and political minefield surrounding the issue of bringing Dutch IS fighters to justice.

Sorry folks, no podcast this week!

As 8,000 tractors roll into The Hague, the DutchNews podcast asks if the farmers will reap a bitter harvest from their rolling protests against anti-nitrogen regulations. We also try to unravel the mystery surrounding a family of cultists found living on a remote farmhouse in Drenthe, find out how undercover flower investigators blew the lid on the black tulip scam, explain how a team of engineers' hopes of winning Down Under went up in smoke and tell you why your neighbourhood is likely to be decked out in orange tat this summer.

The city of peace and justice resembles a Wild West frontier town this week after a corruption scandal and an inferno on the beach brought down The Hague's entire government. But the new sheriff, Johan Remkes, arrives with some heavy baggage as his report on the nitrogen ruling is cited as one reason why the renovation of parliament will be delayed by a year. We also update you on a scientific breakthrough for premature babies in Eindhoven, the ban on texting while cycling, the UN's view of racism in Dutch society and Oranje's quest to qualify for Euro 2020. In our discussion we look at the candidates to lead the three largest coalition parties into the next election.

This week, Paul and Molly update you on endless things going on in The Hague, from the municipality coalition falling to improper building permits. They also talk sports, protests and the Marianne Thieme leaving her post as the leader of the animal rights party. In the discussion, it's tractors, stifstof and a PSA for eating less meat.

In a week literally exploding with news, we examine how the coalition may lose its majority over a building permit, the mayor of Amsterdam got in hot water over a non-smoking gun, ministers faced tough questions about Stints and jihadist passports, and some Dutch political horse-trading left British citizens in an unstable situation. There's also our usual round-up of the week's sporting action, ophef about the Battle of Arnhem and the strange but true story of Utrecht's smallest jailbird.

There was only one question on everybody's lips on Prinsjesdag (aka Budget Day) this year, eclipsing even the speculation about Marianne Thieme's outfit or whether Wopke or Erik came up with the €50 billion special projects fund: would King Willem-Alexander be the first monarch to deliver his speech through a beard? We also reflect on the shocking murder of a lawyer on his doorstep in Amsterdam, the sad death of Fernando Ricksen at 43, a stunningly candid interview by the mayor of Amsterdam's partner and the slow process of detoxifying Zwarte Piet. Plus, find out why ophef rang out round the capital when one new resident complained to the council about his noisy neighbours.

It's been a week of courtroom drama in the Netherlands as Geert Wilders calls for his race-baiting trial to be thrown out for political interference, a doctor is cleared of murder in a landmark euthanasia case, a woman seeks redress for having her baby taken away from the state in the 1960s and a key MH17 witness becomes a pawn in a prisoner exchange. We also look back at Oranje's historic 4-2 win over Germany and try to explain why the government paid millions of euros for the royal family's tables, cabinets and ping-pong bats.