Prime Minister Balkenende went to Washington to meet US President Bush. The two conservative Christian politicians have ”much in common”, according to Balkenende, who also discussed norms and values with Bush.
Balkenende said, ”Bush not only thinks about the economy, but also about how you have to get along in society.” The US is pleased with Holland’s political and military support of the US-led war in Iraq. But former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok said Balkenende risked becoming Bush’s ”lapdog”, to which Foreign Minister Joop de Hoop Scheffer replied, ”I find that nonsense…the United States is the most relevant country in the world when it comes to solving all the problems we’re currently facing.” A new study called ‘The social state of the Netherlands in 2003’ revealed that 65% of Dutch folk are disappointed in the government, (up from only 35% two years ago), especially regarding crime-fighting, public transport and health care. The cabinet agreed on far-reaching austerity measures for cutting 2 billion euros from healthcare costs over the next 4 years. Dental care will no longer be covered by national health insurance, many drugs will no longer be free and patients must pay a flat fee for prescriptions. Health Minister Hans Hoogevorst said it’s time for citizens to take more responsibility for their health, ”and that includes financial responsibility”. As of last week, Dutch doctors are legally permitted to prescribe medicinal cannabis to patients. The governmental Bureau for Medicinal Cannabis (BMC) signed a contract with two marijuana growers to supply pharmacies; the drug will be sold in five-gram packets for around _50.
Dutch unemployment figures continue to rise and may hit seven percent of the workforce, according to Central Bank President Nout Wellink. The Dutch economy unexpectedly contracted by almost a full percentage point in this year%s second quarter. The appointment of a new CEO for Dutch supermarket multinational Ahold caused a ruckus. Ahold shareholders attending the company’s shareholders’ meeting reacted angrily to news that Ahold’s new director would earn up to 10 million euros a year, which was as much as the company intended to save by cutting 44 jobs.
A heated debate is underway in Rotterdam as the mayor’s office and city council consider plans to move poor people from troubled neighborhoods, spreading them throughout the city, in order to halt the decline of the inner city. Relocating poor people, which includes many immigrants, to wealthier areas has been called unfeasible and unconstitutional but most parties agree something must be done to stop ghettos forming. An editorial in De Telegraaf newspaper argued that it’s wiser to enforce existing laws against illegal immigrants, drugs and other forms of crime. Rotterdam Central Station is a safer place: violent incidences are down by 40% compared to last year and robbery cases are down 80%. Meanwhile, organized crime in the Netherlands has ”crossed a border” and ”is moving in the direction of the United States and Italy”, according to the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper, responding to reports that Amsterdam’s criminal underworld hired Albanian assassins to murder one of Holland’s top crime-fighters, public prosecutor Koos Plooy. Yugoslavian arms and drugs dealers in Holland are said to have ordered the hit. People not born in the Netherlands make up some 60% of the country’s total prison population, yet only make up 19% of the population. 2,200 asylum seekers who spent years in the asylum procedure will be granted residence permits as part of a special pardon by Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk. Owing to teacher shortages, a proposal has been put forward to shorten the school week from five days to four. The new study on the social state of the Netherlands also found that ”couples without children are better off” and getting happier. The summer of 2003 was not the hottest Dutch summer ever. The summer of 1947 remains the hottest summer on record. Finally, Dutch custom agents at Schipol airport found a suitcase full of rotting monkey noses. The noses, which came from Nigeria, were to be eaten or used in medicine.
Prime Minister Balkenende went to Washington to meet US President Bush. The two conservative Christian politicians have ”much in common”, according to Balkenende, who also discussed norms and values with Bush. Balkenende said, ”Bush not only thinks about the economy, but also about how you have to get along in society.” The US is pleased with Holland’s political and military support of the US-led war in Iraq. But former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok said Balkenende risked becoming Bush’s ”lapdog”, to which Foreign Minister Joop de Hoop Scheffer replied, ”I find that nonsense…the United States is the most relevant country in the world when it comes to solving all the problems we’re currently facing.” A new study called ‘The social state of the Netherlands in 2003’ revealed that 65% of Dutch folk are disappointed in the government, (up from only 35% two years ago), especially regarding crime-fighting, public transport and health care. The cabinet agreed on far-reaching austerity measures for cutting 2 billion euros from healthcare costs over the next 4 years. Dental care will no longer be covered by national health insurance, many drugs will no longer be free and patients must pay a flat fee for prescriptions. Health Minister Hans Hoogevorst said it’s time for citizens to take more responsibility for their health, ”and that includes financial responsibility”. As of last week, Dutch doctors are legally permitted to prescribe medicinal cannabis to patients. The governmental Bureau for Medicinal Cannabis (BMC) signed a contract with two marijuana growers to supply pharmacies; the drug will be sold in five-gram packets for around _50.
Dutch unemployment figures continue to rise and may hit seven percent of the workforce, according to Central Bank President Nout Wellink. The Dutch economy unexpectedly contracted by almost a full percentage point in this year%s second quarter. The appointment of a new CEO for Dutch supermarket multinational Ahold caused a ruckus. Ahold shareholders attending the company’s shareholders’ meeting reacted angrily to news that Ahold’s new director would earn up to 10 million euros a year, which was as much as the company intended to save by cutting 44 jobs.
A heated debate is underway in Rotterdam as the mayor’s office and city council consider plans to move poor people from troubled neighborhoods, spreading them throughout the city, in order to halt the decline of the inner city. Relocating poor people, which includes many immigrants, to wealthier areas has been called unfeasible and unconstitutional but most parties agree something must be done to stop ghettos forming. An editorial in De Telegraaf newspaper argued that it’s wiser to enforce existing laws against illegal immigrants, drugs and other forms of crime. Rotterdam Central Station is a safer place: violent incidences are down by 40% compared to last year and robbery cases are down 80%. Meanwhile, organized crime in the Netherlands has ”crossed a border” and ”is moving in the direction of the United States and Italy”, according to the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper, responding to reports that Amsterdam’s criminal underworld hired Albanian assassins to murder one of Holland’s top crime-fighters, public prosecutor Koos Plooy. Yugoslavian arms and drugs dealers in Holland are said to have ordered the hit. People not born in the Netherlands make up some 60% of the country’s total prison population, yet only make up 19% of the population. 2,200 asylum seekers who spent years in the asylum procedure will be granted residence permits as part of a special pardon by Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk. Owing to teacher shortages, a proposal has been put forward to shorten the school week from five days to four. The new study on the social state of the Netherlands also found that ”couples without children are better off” and getting happier. The summer of 2003 was not the hottest Dutch summer ever. The summer of 1947 remains the hottest summer on record. Finally, Dutch custom agents at Schipol airport found a suitcase full of rotting monkey noses. The noses, which came from Nigeria, were to be eaten or used in medicine.
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