Politics / Council

Leeuwarden has the fewest millionaires in Friesland: 2.9% of the households in the municipality of Leeuwarden are millionaires. As of 1 January 2025, 6.6 percent of households in the Netherlands had assets of 1 million euros or more. That is 547 thousand households, 81 thousand more than a year earlier. This is mainly due to the rise in house prices.

A study by the Social and Cultural Planning Office shows that a significant minority of Dutch citizens feel disadvantaged compared to other groups. These feelings are most pronounced around the topics of housing and political representation. Roughly 30 percent of the population experiences disadvantage in the housing market.

It could just be that water technology from Frisian soil will soon be used worldwide. Large numbers of international companies and knowledge institutions will be present at the European Water Technology Week in Leeuwarden. Mayor of Leeuwarden Foort van Oosten was able to shake hands with Abdi Mohamed Farah, the mayor of Hargeisa in Somaliland. There they have problems with water retention and would like to see which techniques they can apply there.

Should minors always be welcome during the Elfde van de Elfde, the traditional opening of the carnival season? The municipality of Tilburg and local hospitality owners are clashing over this issue, putting the celebration in doubt. The council and hospitality sector will meet tomorrow for talks.

Today, the House of Representatives is debating the new Tax Plan with Minister Heinen. In addition, the winner of the Ballon d'Or for best footballer of the year will be revealed tonight. Weatherwise, the morning starts dry with some sunshine, followed by rain from the southwest in the afternoon.

GPs, medical specialists, and researchers are strongly criticizing Healthcare Minister Sophie Hermans' plans regarding long COVID and similar conditions. The minister intends to rapidly phase out funding for specialized expertise centers and return primary care responsibility to general practitioners. Healthcare professionals consider this move premature, as scientific research into these syndromes is still in its early stages.

Daylight saving time ends tonight, with clocks being set back one hour at 03:00. This gives people an extra hour of sleep, while mornings will become light earlier and evenings dark sooner. Other European countries are also switching to winter time tonight.

Former Groningen mayor Koen Schuiling is appealing his conviction for public indecency to the Supreme Court. The Zwolle Court of Appeal fined him 250 euros last week for acts committed in his car in March 2024. Schuiling announced his decision to appeal through a statement released on a podcast.

Former CDA Member of Parliament and journalist Sytze Faber has passed away in Leeuwarden at the age of 89. He grew up in a Frisian Reformed family, studied political science, and earned his PhD in 1974. After working in academia for several years, he entered the House of Representatives in 1977.

Dozens of churches across the Netherlands have responded to a nationwide call to provide temporary shelter for status holders. According to Actie Onderdak, twenty churches around the country are already preparing locations by setting up rooms and installing beds.