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Youth parties CDA, D66, and VVD criticize the peace movement Stop the War Fever for spreading fear about the reintroduction of conscription, emphasizing that the voluntary choice for young people remains guaranteed unless there is an acute threat. #Vrede #Dienstplicht #Jongeren (translated)

"I select boys whom I think are good enough to contribute. Young Utrecht coach Mark Otten granted the Dutchman with Ghanaian roots his debut and said to the cameras of ESPN: 'I select boys whom I think are good enough to contribute. I don’t look at age. He plays very maturely, not like a 15-year-old. He is very stable in his choices. Good enough is old enough, they say. That applies to Donovan as well.'" #JongUtrecht #DonovanAfrifa #Voetbalgeschiedenis (translated)

Max von Kreyfelt wrote that D66, in his opinion, put pressure on the Renaissanceschool, which is linked to Forum voor Democratie. He pointed out that D66 MP Jan Paternotte had mentioned the school in the House of Representatives because of announced separate curricula for boys and girls, and had called for stricter rules for new schools. According to Von Kreyfelt, Rob Jetten had urged for a quick evaluation and possible amendments to the law. Von Kreyfelt also wrote that Jetten had announced on October 9 that he would investigate how to take tougher action against schools, weekend schools, and online channels where, according to Jetten, young people were learning incorrect views about equal rights. The columnist emphasized that Jetten had not mentioned the Renaissanceschool in this context. He argued that the education inspectorate should investigate what was actually happening at the school and that a political background alone was not evidence of violations. According to him, Paternotte had stated that Article 23 remained intact. Von Kreyfelt wondered whether Jetten wanted to address verifiable violations or tighten general rules because a political competitor was taking advantage of them. https://t.co/V2P6pFuNy1 #onderwijs #vrijheid #D66 (translated)

Minister Dilan Yesilgöz explains her controversial choice to label Russia as an 'enemy,' which highlights not only the foreign policy of the Netherlands but also the complexity of the internal relations within the cabinet and the reactions from Russia. #Rusland #Defensie #Politiek (translated)

The choice of Pillay as a Nobel Prize winner is a 'tribute to courage, integrity, and lifelong commitment to justice,' said Cyril Ramaphosa, president of the country where Pillay grew up and took her first steps on the path of law, South Africa. #NaviPillay #Mensenrechten #Apartheid (translated)

The first post-Soviet generation in Russia, raised after the fall of the USSR, experiences a unique freedom of choice but is confronted with a return to traditional values under the regime of Vladimir Putin, leaving them caught between new freedoms and enduring expectations. #GuerreEnUkraine #Russie #GénérationPostSoviétique (translated)

Housing reporter Dennis Naaktgeboren discusses the current situation in the Dutch housing market, where home buyers have more options due to an increase in supply, but there is also a decrease in interest in new-build homes, making it still attractive to buy a house in light of high rental prices. #woningmarkt #huizenkopers #nieuwbouw (translated)

Three large educational publishers dominate the school textbook market in the Netherlands, leading to high prices and limited freedom of choice for schools, which often have to stick to specific teaching methods for many years. #schoolboeken #onderwijs #marktonderzoek (translated)

Publishers have decided to stop the bundled sale of school books following a call from the Authority for Consumers and Markets, allowing schools to choose between only printed books, only digital teaching materials, or a combination of both. #onderwijs #schoolboeken #koppelverkoop (translated)

Max von Kreyfelt criticized Cora van Nieuwenhuizen's transition from the ministry to Energy-Nederland. He wrote that Van Nieuwenhuizen was appointed as chair of the industry association on August 31, 2021, and that same day she resigned as a minister. She started working for the organization on October 1. According to Von Kreyfelt, Van Nieuwenhuizen had already informed Prime Minister Mark Rutte on July 23 that she would be nominated, but she remained a minister until the end of August. He wrote that Rutte later acknowledged that government officials had access to cabinet documents and could possibly gain information about the area of their future positions. On August 26, Rutte concluded, according to Von Kreyfelt, that the appointment did not go well with the ministry. Arrangements were made to transfer files that could affect her new position to a colleague if necessary. Von Kreyfelt also reported that Energy-Nederland praised her managerial experience in the Netherlands and Europe. He stated that the transition raised questions about the closeness of public positions and private interests, but wrote that the matter in itself did not prove corruption. He advocated for independent assessment of subsequent positions, more transparency regarding contacts, and a mandatory waiting period before former government officials began working in a sector organization. According to him, public experience should not automatically grant access to private influence. https://t.co/V2P6pFuNy1 #Energie #Overheid #Transitie (translated)

Mona Keijzer wondered whether a municipal council that voted against an asylum seekers' center also had a say when the outcome was not to the liking of The Hague. She called on municipalities to no longer be forced through the distribution law and to focus efforts on reducing the influx of asylum seekers. https://t.co/QyLyLngTdu #democratie #asielbeleid #gemeenteraad (translated)

The article describes the political situation in The Hague as a 'wandering time', characterized by a poverty of ideas and an excessive focus on rejecting other politicians and parties, resulting in little attention to structural changes and reflection on previous choices. #Politiek #Democratie #Ideeënarmoede (translated)

Max von Kreyfelt argued that the Netherlands should ask less about which ministers should resign and more about whether officials should be held accountable. According to him, a forced departure was often followed by a new position or severance pay, which meant that political responsibility could change into a career step. He cited Hugo de Jonge as an example. Von Kreyfelt stated that political incompetence or mistakes did not in themselves constitute a crime, but that willfully lying under oath, destroying documents, falsifying data, corruption, and deliberately acting unlawfully by officials should be independently investigated. A ministerial title should not provide protection against criminal investigation, according to him. He cited as examples the childcare benefits scandal, Groningen, and the COVID-19 period. He wrote that affected parents were treated as fraudsters and that after inquiries and promises in Groningen, accountability was lacking. He also stated that Rutte, De Jonge, and Grapperhaus had presented political choices during COVID as natural laws, dismissed criticism, and stretched fundamental rights. He emphasized that this did not mean they had committed criminal offenses; this should be investigated independently, according to him. Von Kreyfelt wrote that the Netherlands had had enough of inquiries and reports without consequences, while victims faded from view. Officials who broke the law and deliberately caused harm to society should be able to go to court just like other citizens, according to him. #rechtsstaat #politiek #verantwoordelijkheid (translated)

Frank Peeters wrote that in the 1980s he was friends with a Hungarian and a Portuguese student at his school, who, according to him, spoke Dutch fluently after a few months. He also talked about an Iranian medical student who immediately took Dutch lessons and learned the language by translating texts from Persian via English. As a general practitioner with a diverse patient base, Peeters claimed to ask everyone to speak Dutch. He said he had no objection to diversity, but he did object to people who, in his opinion, did not speak Dutch after years in Belgium and mainly interacted with people from their country of origin. Peeters wrote that some called him extreme right because of his remarks on mass immigration, which he believed was made possible by the government. He said he sometimes felt like a stranger in his own country and felt that newcomers should adapt or leave. Finally, he asked if others shared that opinion. #Integratie #Diversiteit #Massaimmigratie (translated)

Incredible @helenestafleu. Anyone who has the discipline to save, to deny themselves things, and to postpone purchases, has absolutely no moral obligation to share the reserve they have built up with those who have not shown that discipline. Come on, that's the reverse world! For the saver, this meant less often, or not at all, going on vacation, a cheaper car, not getting a new phone every year, not eating out regularly but just at home at the dining table, living more frugally, making second-hand purchases instead of new, etc. It is a choice with a price: you deny yourself things so that you have a buffer later, for when things go wrong, when unforeseen expenses arise, but also to be able to live more comfortably in old age. Those who are not willing to make that effort and pay that price have no right to someone else's savings. Do you realize that when you label the unwillingness to share built-up savings as 'petty,' you are actually mocking the discipline and self-control that savers have shown? Is this perhaps because you yourself have not been able to muster this discipline, Helene? People who save generally also handle their own setbacks, do not rely on social services when times are tough, and show that they are morally made of the right stuff. What you are doing here, trying to instill a sense of shame in savers, as if the saver is a miser and the non-saver is a victim, is truly dishonorable, petty, and small-minded. Ugh! #sparen #discipline #zelfbeheersing (translated)