Politics

Prime Minister Rob Jetten has condemned a "very specifically targeted" attack on the D66 party headquarters in The Hague, where a perpetrator detonated a firework bomb on Thursday evening. While dozens of young people were inside the building at the time, police have since arrested a suspect for the act, which caused significant damage and forced the office to close temporarily. This follows a previous incident last autumn where the building sustained €34,000 in damages during an anti-immigration protest, leading Jetten to warn that such "hopeless" attempts at intimidation have no place in a democracy where disagreements should be settled through dialogue.

US President Donald Trump has issued a 4 July ultimatum to the European Union, threatening to significantly hike import tariffs if a pending trade deal is not finalised by America's 250th anniversary. Following a discussion with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump expressed frustration over delays in implementing the agreement reached last summer, which includes the removal of duties on US goods like lobster and industrial products. While the EU maintains that it is in the final stages of negotiations, the President has warned that failure to comply will result in tariffs on European imports, including cars and lorries, immediately soaring to much higher levels.

The AEX index fell further on Friday morning, dropping 0.6 per cent to 1,013.32 points as a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to buckle. This latest decline follows a 1.2 per cent slump on Thursday, marking a sharp retreat for Amsterdam’s blue-chip stocks after they reached a new closing record just two days ago. Market sentiment turned defensive as investors weighed conflicting reports from Washington and Tehran: while the US military confirmed retaliatory strikes and Iran threatened to respond "vigorously and without hesitation," President Donald Trump maintained the truce was still in effect despite Iranian accusations of ceasefire violations in civilian areas.

The IMO reports that around 1,500 ships and 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Some vessels have been stuck for weeks, and an evacuation plan is being prepared once tensions ease.

OPEC oil production has fallen to its lowest level in 36 years due to the war in Iran, which has halted exports and forced shutdowns. Kuwait and Iran saw major declines, while U.S. oil exports hit a record high as global supply routes shift.

US tariff plans are intensifying pressure on Europe, with Germany warning of recession risks if trade tensions escalate. The Netherlands is not facing broad US sanctions, but it remains exposed to fallout through ASML export controls, ICC-related measures and weaker trade flows across the region.

The Netherlands has declined to join Canada’s new Defence, Security & Resilience Bank, opting instead to focus on a competing initiative alongside the UK and Finland. While the Canadian-led bank is designed to help less wealthy allies rearm, the Dutch Ministry of Finance is prioritising the Multilateral Defence Mechanism (MDM), which focuses on joint procurement for wealthier nations. By choosing this path, the Netherlands joins Germany and France in bypassing the Canadian project to support a European-centric model aimed at pooling resources and helping smaller supply-chain businesses scale up military production.

New car registrations in the Netherlands fell by nearly 5 per cent in April, totalling 25,704 units, as geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty prompted the business sector to postpone purchases. This decline follows a volatile start to 2026, largely attributed to a surge in late-2025 sales where leasing companies rushed to beat less favourable tax rules for company cars.