Politics

The Eurozone economy managed to stabilise in June, avoiding a feared contraction to finish the month flat at the 50.0 growth-threshold mark, according to finalised data from S&P Global. Despite initial fears that Middle East conflict-driven price hikes and supply chain disruptions would trigger a slump, a stronger-than-expected rally in the services sector helped lift the economy from May's contraction of 48.5. Supported by steady growth in manufacturing, Chris Williamson, Chief Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, noted that the data marks a welcome stabilisation for the broader economy after two consecutive months of declining production.

The Ministry of Defence has launched a three-year, €30 million partnership with Intelic, a Dutch firm whose software enables diverse brands of air and ground drones to operate as a unified fleet. Spurred by lessons from the war in Ukraine, the investment aims to keep this vital technology in domestic hands by establishing a "golden share" framework that grants the government veto power over major strategic decisions to prevent foreign takeovers. State Secretary Derk Boswijk described the firm's results—including its current supply chain to Ukraine—as "spectacular," signalling a broader military pivot toward autonomous warfare that could see the ministry taking similar stakes in unique tech companies in the future.

Starting with the 2029 European Parliament elections, the Netherlands will switch to a smaller ballot paper, listing only party names and candidate numbers. Trials during recent elections were largely positive, though they showed a slight increase in invalid votes.

A scan of more than 250 Facebook pages shows that many channels posing as news outlets actually spread anger‑driven content to generate advertising revenue. According to Justice for Prosperity, these pages fuel hatred, distort public debate, and undermine trust in Dutch society.

With a focus on moving from policy-making to street-level results, Eindhoven’s newly appointed board of seven aldermen prepares to tackle the housing crisis, net congestion, and social fragmentation through a mix of experienced leadership and fresh regional perspectives.

Several parties in Parliament say the new women’s health plan lacks funding and concrete actions. While the ministry wants to improve recognition of women’s health issues without extra money, critics argue that real progress requires investment — and could save society billions.

At her first congress as party leader, Christine Teunissen reaffirmed that the Party for the Animals will continue to advocate for both animal welfare and human issues, maintaining the course set by her predecessor Esther Ouwehand despite previous internal friction over this broader focus. During her speech, she heavily criticized Prime Minister Rob Jetten for his silence on recognizing a Palestinian state and his shift away from strong climate advocacy, positioning herself as the country's new "climate warrior."

The Dutch Cabinet is preparing to slash funding for the construction and maintenance of roads, waterways, and rail networks to plug multi-billion-euro deficits, sparking critical decisions over which national projects will be shelved. Despite the looming budget cuts, State Secretary Annet Bertram has signalled that urgent repairs to the Amsterdam-Rotterdam high-speed line and the rollout of the new European railway safety system (ERTMS) remain "absolutely vital" priorities that are unlikely to be axed. To cushion the blow of these reductions, Infrastructure Minister Vincent Karremans is exploring alternative funding routes, including private sector financing and European subsidies.