Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Belgian border sign
Belgian border sign - Credit: dennisvdwater / DepositPhotos - License: DepositPhotos
Health
Politics
Business
Annemarie Penn-te Strake
Maastricht
Coronavirus
closed border
Belgium
social distancing
Security Council
Hubert Bruls
Monday, 30 November 2020 - 17:50
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Maastricht mayor against closing borders to keep Belgian shoppers out

Mayor Annemarie Penn-te Strake of Maastricht does not think it is necessary to close the borders with Belgium to prevent shopping crowds in the Netherlands' border towns. "We experienced it from the other side here when Belgium closed its borders for us," she said on VRT Radio 1 program De Ochtend. "That is going too far for me. As mayor of a border town, it is not acceptable to me."

Over the weekend, cities like Eindhoven and Maastricht had many Belgian visitors as many Dutch stores were running Black Friday specials, while all the non-essential stores in Belgium were closed. Hubert Bruls, mayor of Nijmegen and chairman of the Security Council for the 25 Dutch security regions, said that the mayors on the council would be discussing measures against this on Monday.

But Penn-te Strake thinks extra measures are unnecessary. She believes the Netherlands can count on the Belgians' sense of responsibility. In addition, Belgium will reopen non-essential stores on Tuesday, albeit with some restrictions. "It makes a difference that stores in Belgium reopen on December 1. If everyone behaves sensibly, there will be no need for special regulations for Belgians and Germans,' Penn-te Strake said.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Cabinet ready to shorten duration of municipal debt relief down to 1.5 years
  • Two killed in fatal Arnhem fire are women aged 46 and 51
  • Lynxes might settle in Netherlands again; A "dilemma," Minister says
  • Leak of Dutch PM's row with Finance Minister is "Gossip and backstabbing;" Rutte apologized
  • Dutch police take down Exclu encrypted chat service with 42 arrests, €4 million seized
  • One worker killed, four hurt in Zeeland Refinery accident

Top stories

  • Dutch police take down Exclu encrypted chat service with 42 arrests, €4 million seized
  • Signal failure briefly halts train traffic around A'dam; NS warns of significant delays
  • Matching medicine dosage to patient's DNA can cut side effects 30%: LUMC
  • Dutch airports' traveler numbers not yet back to pre-pandemic levels in 2022
  • Dutch parliamentarians support €57 rent reduction for low-income households
  • European office to gather proof of war crimes in Ukraine will set up in The Hague

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content