cabinet

The Dutch government has approved a three-year ban on the trade of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights, while exploring whether the restrictions can legally expand to services and investments. The independent move follows a lack of support for an EU-wide boycott, with ministers citing deep concerns over how settlement expansion and settler violence are undermining a two-state solution. While the ban applies to both direct imports and Dutch companies operating abroad, Ministers Tom Berendsen and Sjoerd Sjoerdsma warned parliament that enforcing the measure will face practical limits, prompting the Netherlands to coordinate with nations like Belgium to boost its effectiveness.

The Dutch Cabinet has approved a new bill granting police expanded powers to collect and monitor personal data from public social media accounts to prevent public order disturbances. Minister David van Weel argued the legislation "brings the police into the 21st century," pointing to recent violent riots at the Malieveld as evidence that authorities need better tools to track online-organised unrest. While current rules only allow officers to view public information, the new law will permit the formal extraction and use of this data; however, the powers do not yet extend to private or closed groups, though future plans to include them are already under consideration.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten has pledged to revise the government's economic plans after independent forecasts suggested they would increase poverty in the Netherlands. The minority cabinet faces pressure from opposition parties to adjust its policies on taxation and benefits to protect the country's most vulnerable citizens.

The CDA has named its candidates for the new coalition government, bringing together a mix of experienced European diplomats and private sector leaders. The lineup includes a new Foreign Minister and a deputy prime minister to serve alongside Rob Jetten.