Politics

Tjeerd Herrema resigned as PvdA alderman in Almere on Thursday after being accused of sexual harassment. An external investigation is ongoing into these accusations, but Herrema decided not to await the outcome of this investigation, NOS reports.

According to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, unity within the European Union is more important than ever in this time when international relations and alliances can no longer be counted on. The EU countries must remain united and not let themselves be played against each other, was Rutte's main message in his speech in the European Parliament on Wednesday. "Unity is the basis of our strength", Rutte said, NU.nl reports. 

A majority in the Eerste Kamer, the Dutch Senate, is in favor of a partial ban on wearing face-covering clothing. During a debate in the Senate, the VVD, CDA, PVV, ChristenUnie and SGP supported a legislative proposal for such a ban. The D66, SP, PvdA and GroenLinks are against it, NOS reports.

Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security started procedures to revoke the Dutch citizenships of suspected terrorists, he said in parliament on Tuesday. How many suspects are involved, or who they are, he refused to say, AD reports.

Previously the Minister announced that two brothers convicted of terrorism would lose their Dutch passports. This time is different, because it involves suspects against whom criminal cases are still ongoing - they have not been convicted yet. 

The new Zaanstad city council wants to take advantage of Amsterdam's popularity among tourists and the measures the Dutch capital is taking to spread out the crowds of visitors, according to the Zaandstad coalition agreement presented on Sunday, AT5 reports.

Freedom of speech means that everyone must be able to express their opinion, whatever it may be, Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said at a neighborhood Iftar on Sunday. "No matter how poisonous the message may be, it must be able to be expressed", he said in reaction to him allowing a Pegida pork roasting demonstration at the Laleli mosque in Rotterdam-Zuid last week, ANP reports.

A legislative proposal by PVV parliamentarians Sietse Fritsma and Machiel de Graaf to send criminal Antilleans back to Aruba, Curacao or Sint Maarten got no support from other parties in parliament. "This is not possible and we should also not want this", CDA parliamentarian Madeleine van Toorenburg said in a debate in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, NOS reports.

About 20 supporters of anti-Islam movement Pegida decided at the last minute not to hold a demonstrative barbecue in front of the Laleli Mosque in Rotterdam on Thursday. According to Pegida, the police said that their safety couldn't be guaranteed. According to the police, they said no such thing and the group decided on its own to leave, NU.nl reports.

A spokesperson for Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told the newspaper that Pegida "made the decision not to let the demonstration go on itself, when they saw the crowd." 

Minister Eric Wiebes of Economic Affairs thinks that gas extraction in Groningen could be reduced to below 12 billion cubic meters by 2020, he wrote in a letter to parliament. Though he added that he can not guarantee this as the effect of a number of planned measures is not yet certain, RTL Nieuws reports.

Rotterdam is allowed to ban petrol cars made before 1 July 1992 from the environmental zone in the city center, the Council of State ruled on Wednesday, overturning a previous court ruling, NU.nl reports.

British historian Sir Ian Kershaw, internationally renowned for his research on Adolf Hitler and Nazi Geremany, will be one of the participants of festival Crossing Border in The Hague this autumn, NU.nl reports.

The emeritus professor of modern history at the University of Sheffield will be interviewed in public about his latest book Roller Coaster. The book discusses post-war Europe from 1950 to 2017. Roller Coaster will be published in Dutch in August.

Crossing Border is happening from October 30th to November 4th this year.