Business

For the first time in years, the average mortgage for first-time buyers has stopped growing, signaling that new buyers have hit their financial limit. With property prices up 5% this March, many are forcing themselves into smaller homes or cheaper areas just to get a foot on the property ladder. Meanwhile, existing homeowners are using their equity and higher incomes to buy bigger properties, widening the gap between those buying their first home and those moving up it.

ASN Bank plans to double its mortgage market share to 15% by simplifying and speeding up the application process for homebuyers. The bank is currently focusing on internal improvements, such as anti-money laundering measures, following previous regulatory fines. Consequently, management has paused new product launches and AI experimentation for the foreseeable future.

Ikea plans to cut 850 jobs worldwide as Inter Ikea restructures to reduce costs and speed up decisions. The company says the group has become too complex and wants a simpler structure. It remains unclear whether Dutch jobs will be affected.

At the invitation of Rob Jetten, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Netherlands on May 15-17, 2026. Prime Minister...

Indian manufacturing giant Tata Electronics has signed a strategic agreement with Dutch semiconductor equipment leader ASML to develop India's first commercial chip fabrication plant. The 11 billion USD facility in Gujarat will utilise ASML's advanced lithography technology to produce microchips for global automotive, mobile, and artificial intelligence markets.

Several Swatch stores in the Netherlands were forced to remain closed on Saturday after hundreds of shoppers gathered for a highly anticipated watch release. Police and security teams stepped in to disperse the crowds in both Leidschendam and Amsterdam after safety concerns arose

A bird flu outbreak at a laying hen farm in Biddinghuizen has led to the precautionary culling of 55,000 chickens to prevent the virus from spreading. Following the detection in Flevoland, the Ministry of Agriculture has enforced a strict 10-kilometre restriction zone, imposing a total transport ban on birds, eggs, and manure. This measure directly impacts 25 other commercial poultry farms in the area, as authorities work to contain the infection and safeguard the wider agricultural sector.

State Secretary Silvio Erkens has allocated 13.5 million euros to compensate fishermen for the soaring fuel prices triggered by the conflict in Iran, repurposing funds originally intended for European sustainability projects. While the scheme offers relief for rising operating costs incurred since February, it excludes claims for lost revenue from those who stayed in port to avoid high prices. This emergency measure, funded largely by the EU, arrives alongside separate multi-million euro packages aimed at long-term modernisation and support for shrimp, flatfish, and shellfish fishers as the industry navigates a volatile energy market.