Turkey-Netherlands relations: Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu in the Netherlands discussing bilateral ties

Read more at: 

https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2019/04/10/fm-cavusoglu-visits-the-netherlands-to-discuss-bilateral-ties

The Netherlands: Dutch PM criticized after calling out 'white sipping elites' for not giving Trump a fair chance

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte faced criticism on Sunday after making comments about what he called "white wine sipping elites in Amsterdam" who are not giving US President Donald Trump a fair chance. Rutte made these comments during an appearance on Buitenhof, a weekly TV show focused on Dutch politics that aired on Sunday.  

Note Almere-Digest: Strange comments by Dutch PM, specially after the US Trump administration downgraded the diplomatic status of the  European Union’s delegation to the United States last year without making a formal announcement or informing the bloc about the change. The European Union’s demotion from a member state to an international organization became clear at the funeral of President George Bush, when Mr.O’Sullivan’s name was not called in the expected order, dictated by diplomatic protocols.Donald Trump certainly is not a friend of the EU, or the Netherlands, a Member State of the European Union. The Dutch PM "must have lost his "marbles" in making these comments. 

For the full report click on link below 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/dutch-pm-criticised-calling-white-wine-sipping-elites-190113195619653.html

The Netherlands: scores a B in making most of the EURO

Read more at
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/12/the-netherlands-scores-a-b-in-making-most-of-the-euro/

The Netherlands: Dutch hit back at "over - tourism"

Not Disneyland': Dutch hit back at 'over-tourism' -

Read more at;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46194330

The Netherlands UN ICJ: Iran - US Relations- Sanctions US ordered to halt 'humanitarian' Iran sanctions in blow for Trump - by Jan HENNOP, Danny KEMP

The UN's top court ordered the United States Wednesday to suspend sanctions on "humanitarian" goods for Iran in a stunning setback for US President Donald Trump.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down the bombshell judgement after Iran asked it to halt economic measures that Trump reimposed after pulling out of a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran.

Judges in The Hague unanimously ruled that the sanctions on some goods breached a 1955 "friendship treaty" between Iran and the US that predates Iran's Islamic Revolution.

"The court finds unanimously that... the United States of America... shall remove by means of its choosing any impediments arising from the measures announced on 8 May to the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts, chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said.

The court said sanctions on goods "required for humanitarian needs... may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran."

Read more: US ordered to halt 'humanitarian' Iran sanctions in blow for Trump

EU Hourly Wages: Netherlands has 6th highest hourly wage in Europe - by Janene Pieters

The Netherlands had the sixth highest hourly wage in the European Union's business sector with an average of 38.80 euros last year. Denmark came in first place with 42,50 euros, according to European stats office Eurostat, ANP reports.

The public- and agricultural sectors are not included in these figures.

In addition to Denmark, employers in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and France also spent more on their employees' wages than the Netherlands. Bulgaria had the lowest hourly wage at only 4.90 euros gross.

The non-wage costs in the gross salary in the Netherlands amounted to 24 percent last year. That is exactly the EU average. In the Netherlands salaries rose by an average of 2.4 percent last year, just above the EU average of 2.3 percent.

Read more: Netherlands has 6th highest hourly wage in Europe | NL Times

Netherlands population getting more diverse; To hit 18 million by 2031 - by Janene Pieters

The Dutch population will continue to grow in the coming decades to over 18.4 million people by 2060, according to the latest prognosis by Statistics Netherlands. The 18 millionth inhabitant is expected in 2031. By 2040 almost a quarter of the Dutch population will be elderly, and by 2060 just over a third will have their roots in the outside world, according to the stats office.

The population of the Netherlands is growing because more people move to the Netherlands than move away, and because of the increasing lifespan. "In the coming years, more children will also be born, but that will not be sufficient in the long run to compensate for the increasing number of deaths", Statistics Netherlands writes. According to the current forecast, from the end of the 2030s more residents will die each year than are born.

Over the past two decades, the Dutch population grew by 1.5 million people. 86 percent of this increase involve people with a migration background. People immigrating to the Netherlands for work or study increased sharply over the past en years. And more recently, the Netherlands also saw a mass increase in asylum migrants. Though immigration from tradition countries of origin like Morocco, Turkey and Suriname decreased.

In the coming decades, the number of Netherlands residents with a migration background will increase, while the residents with a Dutch background will decrease, Statistics Netherlands expects.

This year 23 percent of the population have a migration background, by 2060 this will increase to 34 percent. "Both now and in the future, more than half of those with a migration background were born in the Netherlands, with at least one parent born abroad."

The number of elderly residents will also increase in the coming decades, due to the high birth rates immediately after the Second World War and in the 1950s and '60s. Another factor is that lifespan increased over the paEU-Digestst years and continues to rise. According to the prognosis, the proportion of the population aged 65 and older will increase from 18 percent in 2017 to 24 percent in 2040.

According to Statistics Netherlands, this prognosis has a level of uncertainty. Migration fluctuates from year to year, which means there is great uncertainty in the prognosis of immigration and emigration on the short term. Birth and mortality rates are easier to predict in the short term, but uncertainty increases in the long term. Taking these uncertainties into account, the Dutch population will be between 17.2 million and 19.7 million people in 2060.

Note  EU -Digest: Bottom line: the Netherlands needs more immigrants, obviously this immigration stream needs to be far better controlled and administered than it is presently done. New citizens should also be required to swear their alliance to the Netherlands/EU during a special Public ceremony in presided over by a Judge, when inducted as citizens of the Netherlands/EU and agree not to serve in any other military force, except that of the Netherlands or the common EU defense force.

Read more: Netherlands population getting more diverse; To hit 18 million by 2031 | NL Times

International Court of Justice: Ratko Mladic sentenced to life in prison for Srebrenica genocide,dragged from court over outburst

Ratko Mladic gets life sentence for genocide against Muslims

A UN court in The Hague, Netherlands, has convicted former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic of genocide and crimes against humanity and sentenced him to life in prison for atrocities perpetrated during Bosnia's 1992-1995 war.

The court in The Hague convicted Mladic of 10 of 11 counts in a dramatic climax to a groundbreaking effort to seek justice for the wars in the former Yugoslavia.

Presiding Judge Alphons Orie read out the judgment Wednesday after ordering Mladic, dubbed "The Butcher of Bosnia", out of the courtroom over an angry outburst.

Read more: Ratko Mladic sentenced to life in prison for Srebrenica genocide, after he is dragged from court over outburs

Air Pollution: Netherlands latest EU country to be told to improve air quality - by Peter Teffer

The Dutch state has to do more to make sure it complies with EU emissions limits, a court in the Hague ruled on Thursday (7 September).

The ruling follows several other cases where European judges stepped in to demand cleaner air for citizens. In the Netherlands, it will also complicate coalition talks.

The case was filed by environmentalist group Milieudefensie (Environmental defence), the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth.

According to EU law, the country was supposed to comply with emissions limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 1 January 2010, and for particulate matter (PM) by 1 January 2005.

The European Commission gave the Netherlands an extended period to comply, namely until 1 January 2015 for NO2, and 11 June 2011 for PM.

However, the country has consistently exceeded those limits for both pollutants in a number of locations.

The EU directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe requires member states that have zones where the emissions limits are exceeded to come up with air quality plans "so that the exceedance period can be kept as short as possible".

The court ruled that the air quality plan the Dutch government has in place is too general, and ordered the government to start work on a new plan within two weeks.

Milieudefensie had asked the court to demand that this plan is ready before the end of 2018, but the judge turned down that request because the phrase "as short as possible" was not defined further.

Netherlands latest EU country to be told to improve air quality

Tax Systems - money is not determinating factor: The happiest countries in the world also pay a lot in taxes

The US Tax System needs an overhaul

The happiest countries in the world in 2017 are prosperous Western-style liberal democracies.

Their populations are, in many cases, largely homogeneous. And they also have something else in common: They each pay a lot in taxes.

According to the United Nations' latest World Happiness Report, as covered by CBS News, the top 10 happiest countries are:
1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Switzerland
5. Finland
6. Netherlands
7. Canada
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Sweden

Report co-author Jeffrey Sachs, who is also the director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, tells CBS that "happiness is a result of creating strong social foundations," and that if other nations prioritized "social trust" and "healthy lives," they could also find that their citizens become more content.

The top three happiest countries, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, are all among the highest taxed countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in terms of total tax revenue as a percentage of GDP. The widely enjoyed social benefits residents get in exchange for their taxes, such as universal health care, access to education and subsidized parental leave, could have something to do with the "strong social foundations" touted by Sachs.

Note EU-Digest: These countries are happy, mainly for all the services they are getting in exchange for paying high taxes. Specially in the area of healthcare and low pharmaceutical costs, obviously also by enjoying great infrastructural advantages and obviously modern public transportation systems. In America right-wing politicians (mainly Republicans) have figured out that by telling the taxpayers they pay the lowest taxes in the world, it will make  corrupt practices by them easier. Unfortunately over time this made the US taxpayer the big loser.

Read more: The happiest countries in the world also pay a lot in taxes

The Netherlands: What the Dutch elections are all about … and what they’re not about - by Cas Mudde

Mark Rutte benefiting  from his brawl with Erdogan?

The Dutch parliamentary elections are tomorrow and, like most Dutch political scientists, I cannot wait for them to be over. Never before have Dutch elections been so intensely followed by the international media and I am, honestly, tired of having to answer another question about “the Dutch Trump” (Geert Wilders) or “the Dutch Trudeau” (Jesse Klaver). Obviously, the international media are not really interested in Dutch politics. Rather, they have declared the Netherlands to be the bellwether of European politics. Never mind that the country has a fairly specific political culture, and party politics has changed from ultra-stable in the 20th century to ultra-volatile in the 21st century, the Netherlands is Europe’s future.

Given that the Dutch elections are covered in the same frame as the British EU referendum and the US presidential elections, and are the first of a series of similar elections in Europe, much of what is truly at stake is missed. Moreover, much of what is focused on is secondary at best and irrelevant at worst. So, what is (not) at stake tomorrow?

1 These are not “winner takes all” elections

2 The Dutch are not voting on the European Union

3 The Dutch are not electing a president

International media style the Dutch elections as a “neck-and-neck race” between conservative prime minister Mark Rutte of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and radical-right challenger Wilders, to fit the broader frame of status quo versus populism. Understandably, Rutte has tried to push this idea on the Dutch media too, positioning himself as the only democratic hope to stave off a populist victory. But however convenient it is for selling newspapers or for Rutte, this formula is inconsistent with the essence of the elections. The Dutch are electing a parliament, not a president or premier, and it is not guaranteed that the leader of the biggest party will be the premier. In a parliamentary system the government needs the support of the parliamentary majority, not necessarily of the biggest party. Moreover, the struggle between Rutte and Wilders captures only a minority of the voters: together the VVD and PVV are only polling between 30 and 35%. In other words, the real story is somewhere else.

4 The Dutch are uninspired …

The most stunning number regarding the Dutch elections is that, four days before election day, a majority of the population (54%) did not yet know for which party they were going to vote.

5 … (partly) because the parties discuss the wrong issues

Since the beginning of the 21st century Dutch political campaigns have been dominated by the “three Is” – immigration, integration and Islam – and this year is no different.

In fact, voters are being beaten around the head with those issues on the campaign trail, even if few concrete solutions are offered, at the expense of some of the basic bread-and-butter issues that are actually concerning the majority of population: economic inequality, education, healthcare, and protection of the welfare state.

Note EU-Digest: Unfortunately the Turkey-Holland  brawl has not helped the candidates on the left in this Dutch election, who have hammered on more and real pressing problems, like economic inequality, education, healthcare, and protection of the welfare state on a sure footing, to the contrary. 

So basically, if there are no major surprises it unfortunately could turn out to be business as usual in Holland with Mark Rutte benefiting from the weekend crises with Turkey?

Read more: What the Dutch elections are all about … and what they’re not about | Cas Mudde | Opinion | The Guard

EU: Immigrants and refugees: Le Pen, Petry and Wilders all trying to cure the symptoms not the cause - by RM

The European Destruction Team

Senior members of Alternative for Germany cut short a meeting Monday with the Central Council of Muslims, accusing the group of failing to renounce religious beliefs that they claim clash with the German constitution.

The confrontation came days after the party — known by its acronym AfD — launched a campaign against the construction of a mosque in the eastern state of Thuringia, joining up for the first time with the group known as the Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West.

When you read all the nonsense the so-called right-wing nationalist parties, specially those in France, Germany and the Netherlands are saying, reporting and announcing, you can only wonder if the electorate has gone crazy, or if the existing political leadership just does not have it together anymore?

This is the reason why Europe has a refugee problem

The large flow of immigrants to Europe is certainly not because they find Europe such a wonderful or great place to be living in, but mainly because we, together with our so-called "allies",  have bombed their cities, homes and countries into oblivion.

As the saying goes - "you always harvest what you sow".

Geert Wilders (Holland), Marine Le Pen (France) and Frauke Petry (Germany) have taken full advantage of the fact that our present European political leadership have never dared to tackle the true cause, as to why all these refugees came to Europe.

Obviously the electorate, which had been kept in the dark by their political leaders on the true cause  and reasons of the refugee influx into Europe, unfortunately resulted in the fact they started  listening to the garbage coming out of the mouths of Wilders. Le Pen and Petry,.

They put the blame of the refugee problem on national Government policies, related to immigration and refugees, not on the real cause of the refugee problem re: the military involvement of EU countries in the Middle East wars.

Instead the Ultra-Right focused on Islamophobia, decay of national economy/sovereignty. and the functioning of the  EU,  without producing any plan to back-up their arguments .

It is a sad state of affairs and will not get better unless the EU and its member states take a more independent direction and stance when it comes to military alliances and foreign policies.

If the nationalist succeed in breaking up the EU - no country in Europe will be able to stand-up on their own against the manipulations of the USA, China or Russia. It is as simple as that.

EU-Digest ©

Netherlands: Alternative Energy Railways: Dutch electric trains become 100% powered by wind energy

Dutch Trains -Alternative Energy - Wind Power

All Dutch electric trains are now powered by wind energy, the national railway company NS has said .

“Since 1 January, 100% of our trains are running on wind energy,” said NS spokesman, Ton Boon.

“So we in fact reached our goal a year earlier than planned,” said Boon, adding that an increase in the number of wind farms across the country and off the coast of the Netherlands had helped NS achieve its aim.

Eneco and NS said on a joint website that around 600,000 passengers daily are “the first in the world” to travel thanks to wind energy. NS operates about 5,500 train trips a day.

One windmill running for an hour can power a train for 120 miles, the companies said. They hope to reduce the energy used per passenger by a further 35% by 2020 compared with 2005.

Read more: Dutch electric trains become 100% powered by wind energy | World news | The Guardian

The Netherlands: Santa's secret past: Who is the real Saint Nicholas? And why do we celebrate Christmas? - by Tom Rawle

Saint Nicholas is said to have created miracles across Turkey

The big guy in the North Pole has been the traditional Christmas gift-giver for hundreds of years now.

But his dark past is a fairly untouched subject. Look away now kids.

The well-known bearded ball of joy was based on Saint Nicholas, a 4th century bishop based in Turkey.

Saint Nick was known for giving secret presents and pulling off a handful of miracles according to the history books.

Yet the real festive folk hero is now also widely revered as being the patron saint of prostitutes.

According to the story, Nicholas saved three women from becoming hookers after their father could not afford dowries for them to wed.

At the time in Turkey – then known as Asia Minor, unmarriable women would be forced into prostitution.

Luckily old Nick had a plan.

On the night before the eldest daughter came of age, he anonymously offered up a purse of gold coins to the family.

One year on, he repeated the same gesture for the middle daughter.

And finally in the third year, he dropped a purse down the chimney for the third daughter (hence the modern day fable).

The wonderworker is said to have continued his good will to help maintain the purity of women and slow down the growth of prostitution.

Gerry Bowler, historian and author of World Encyclopedia of Christmas, told Daily Star Online exclusively that Saint Nicholas is a “semi-mythical saint”, yet was renowned around the globe.

He said: “So many stories were told about his wonder-working powers — he could fly, he could be in two places at once, he could raise the dead to life — that he was the most popular saint in heaven (outside of the Virgin Mary).”

In another story Saint Nick is said to have brought back to life three children murdered by an evil butcher.

In translated script from Symeon the Metaphrast, a philosopher in 900AD, he wrote: “Now after he had long lived in this manner, renowned for his virtuous conduct, he asperged the metropolis of Myra with sweet and lovely unction distilled from the blossoms of divine Grace.

"When he came to the very advance age, full of days both heavenly and earthly, he need must comply with the common law of nature, as is man's lot.

Dr Bowler said many areas of the Catholic Church still allow for the teachings of Saint Nicholas, despite some no longer trusting the legend.

In his book, World Encyclopedia of Christmas, he writes: “After his death Nicholas became a well-loved saint, being named the patron, among other things, of Russia, Greece, Vikings, choirboys, thieves, perfumers, barrel makers, unmarried women and sailors.”

He adds: “By the sixteenth century German children hung out their stockings for him to drop presents in just as he had dropped bags of gold to the poor man’s daughters.

“At the same time in England children were told that he came in through the window.”

From this, the idea of Santa Claus was born”

He writes: “Among Protestant countries only the Netherlands maintained its devotion to Nicholas, known there as Sinterklaas.

“This figure of Sinterklaas inspired early nineteenth-century Americans in New York City to develop a new Gift-Bringer, Santa Claus.

“It is Santa Claus who is exported back to Europe to provide the model for Gift-Bringers such as Father Christmas.”

So the good news is Santa Claus is (based on) a real person.

The bad news, he meddled a bit too much with prostitutes

From: Santa's secret past: Who is the real Saint Nicholas? And why do we celebrate Christmas? | Daily Star

Austria: Left-leaning 'professor' Van der Bellen to become Austria's new president

Independent candidate and former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen – affectionately known as "the professor" among his supporters – won Austria's presidential election on Sunday over right-wing populist Norbert Hofe.

Note Almere-Digest: This is bad news for Marie Le Pen France and Geert Wilders from the Netherlands

Read more: Left-leaning 'professor' Van der Bellen to become Austria's new president - France 24

The Netherlands: Geert Wilders - PM of the Netherlands in 2017 ?

Will  Geert Wilders ever become the PM of the Netherlands?

To read the complete report click here.

Netherlands: Rise of the right: 'Anarchist' media in the Netherlands

Over the past 10 years in the Netherlands, the far-right Freedom Party has moved from the political wilderness to where it is today: leading in the polls with an election coming up next year.

The party's leader, Geert Wilders, has long argued that the Dutch mainstream media cover populist movements with a tone of mockery and cynicism.

"You could say that the traditionally left, progressive media, until this point, have only engaged with far-right movements by opposing them, by discarding them, by saying people are bad or stupid for holding such beliefs. This has only been counterproductive, because by repressing this sentiment, you end up radicalising the debate. Yet, for 15 years, politicians and the media have failed to offer an alternative that goes beyond merely denying those sentiments you don't agree with," says Rob Wijnberg, editor, De Correspondent.

Feeling the mainstream media no longer catered to their views, a part of the Dutch audience started looking elsewhere for their media coverage.

Alternative right-wing outlets, such as GeenStijl and PowNed, who call themselves "anarchist", have grown more popular and have now found a platform on Dutch state-funded TV channels, where their anti-Islam and anti-immigration rhetoric can reach larger audiences.

Read more: Rise of the right: 'Anarchist' media in the Netherlands - Al Jazeera English

Germany: Cologne Turkish demonstration shows major flaws in EU legislation re: New EU citizens rights and obligations

German Citizens of Turkish Descent demonstrating in Cologne

Aljazeera reported recently that tens of thousands of Erdogan supporters rallied in Cologne to show their opposition to the failed coup attempt on July 15.

In the meantime Turkey has summoned a senior German diplomat, the embassy said, a day after German authorities stopped Turkey president from addressing a rally in Cologne via video-link. ministry at 1pm (10:00 GMT)," a spokeswoman for the German embassy in Ankara told the AFP news agency, adding that the ambassador, who was summoned originally, was not in town.

Hours before the demonstration, Germany's constitutional court banned an application to show live speeches from Turkey by politicians including Erdogan, amid fears that political tensions in Turkey could spill over into Germany.

The decision sparked anger in Turkey, with presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin calling the ban unacceptable and a "violation of the freedom of expression and the right to free assembly".

Germany is home to aboutthree million ethnic Turks, making up Turkey's largest diaspora, and tensions over the failed coup have put authorities there on edge.

The tension comes at a time when relations between Germany and Turkey are already strained over the German parliament's decision to brand as genocide the World War I-era Armenian massacre by Ottoman forces.

As to new EU citizens rights and obligations. It is high time the EU Commission and EU Parliament review some of the procedures for EU member states immigrant swearing in ceremonies related to new citizen. In this respect the EU would be well served to copy the swearing in procedures applied in the US where a new citizen swears agreement to the following: 

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."  

This would certainly avoid ridiculous scenes like recently in Cologne,Germany, where German citizens of Turkish descent demonstrated in favor of "the leadership in their country of origin, and where the President of that country consequently got upset with the German Government that he was not allowed to participate as a speaker in the demonstration via a TV hookup. 

It can not get any crazier than this. Mr. Erdogan, given his record on freedom of speech, should be the last person to make remarks about human rights or freedom of speech - as to the German demonstrators of Turkish descent.  In case they feel more in-line with Turkish Customs, Tradition and Culture, or Mr. Erdogan's Government ideals, they are completely free to go back to live in Turkey.

EU-Digest

Soccer: Poland suffer rare home defeat at hands of Netherlands

A young Netherlands side gave Poland much food for thought on the eve of Euro 2016 by condemning them to a 2-1 defeat. 

The Poles came into the fixture having lost only once in their last 18 internationals, but goals from Vincent Janssen and Giorginio

Wijnaldum in each half extended Poland's run without a victory over the Netherlands - one that stretche back to May 1979.

Read more: Poland suffer rare home defeat at hands of Netherlands - International friendlies 2016 - Football - Eurosport

The Netherlands: Dutch may set up fund to help journalists arrested abroad -

MPs want to set up a special fund to help Dutch journalists facing legal action abroad in countries where press freedom is under pressure, public broadcaster NOS said on Tuesday. The call, made on the UN’s World Press Freedom Day, would ensure there was money available to help journalists pay for legal costs.

Journalists currently receive consular help if they run into difficulty abroad but not necessarily financial assistance to pay their legal bills. Dutch columnist Ebru Umar is currently unable to leave Turkey because she faces legal action in connection with several tweets about president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Netherlands is supporting her legally. ‘Journalists can be prosecuted into the financial ground by authoritarian regimes,’ D66 parliamentarian Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, who proposed setting up the fund, said.

Meanwhile Umar has told the NRC that prime minister Mark Rutte has made her promise to have personal security when she returns to the Netherlands if it proves to be necessary. Umar, a Dutch national of Turkish descent, was arrested in late April while on holiday in the Aegean resort of Kusadasi.

She told state broadcaster Nos that police had come to her door and questioned her over ‘a few Tweets’. The Metro columnist spent the night in custody before being released but was ordered to stay in the country.

Read more: Dutch may set up fund to help journalists arrested abroad - DutchNews.nl