Showing posts with label the Netherlands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Netherlands. Show all posts
August 01, 2016
The Netherlands Tests Free Basic Income for the Unemployed
December 27, 2015
Dutch City Plans to Pay All Citizens a ‘Basic Income’, and Greens Say It Could Work in the UK
It’s an idea whose adherents over the centuries have ranged from socialists to libertarians to far-right mavericks. It was first proposed by Thomas Paine in his 1797 pamphlet, Agrarian Justice, as a system in which at the “age of majority” everyone would receive an equal capital grant, a “basic income” handed over by the state to each and all, no questions asked, to do with what they wanted.
It might be thought that, in these austere times, no idea could be more politically toxic: literally, a policy of the state handing over something for nothing. But in Utrecht, one of the largest cities in the Netherlands, and 19 other Dutch municipalities, a tentative step towards realising the dream of many a marginal and disappointed political theorist is being made. » | Daniel Boffey in Utrecht | Saturday, December 26, 2015
May 15, 2013
November 16, 2011
The prospect of a eurozone breakup intensified on Tuesday night as borrowing costs around the region soared and the Dutch prime minister said it should be possible to expel some members from the currency union.
Investors are rapidly losing hope that a solution to the sovereign debt crisis will be found, and their fear was demonstrated by rising bond yields – the rate of interest governments have to pay to borrow – across almost all single-currency countries. The Dutch premier, Mark Rutte, stoked fears that a collapse could become a reality as he aired the prospect of countries being ejected, albeit as a last resort.
"We would like countries to be able to be pushed out of the eurozone," Rutte said on a visit to London, adding member countries must "put out the fire" of the debt crisis. As analysts warned of "terror taking hold", even some of those countries until now regarded as safe havens, such as the Netherlands, came under pressure as fears about countries' creditworthiness spread from peripheral countries such as Greece into Europe's core.
One bond expert described this as the most worrying day yet in the crisis. Mike Riddell, manager of M&G's international sovereign bond fund, said France was now suffering a "full-blown run" on its debt, with investors dumping French bonds to move their money to safer havens. Riddell added that the credit default swap (CDS) market – where investors in effect bet on the prospects of countries going bust – now indicates that the chance of France losing its coveted top AAA rating is a near certainty.
"Even the Netherlands, which the market perceives to be the second strongest eurozone sovereign, is coming under a bit of pressure," he said. » | Katie Allen | Tuesday, November 15, 2011
November 12, 2011
Die rechtspopulistische niederländische Freiheitspartei (PVV) will einen Ausstieg des Landes aus dem Euro untersuchen lassen.
„Die Regierung macht uns Angst, indem sie uns sagt, das Licht werde im Fall eines Austritts aus dem Euro erlöschen. Natürlich kostet das Geld, aber ich will wissen, ob eine Rückkehr zum Gulden uns am Ende nicht mehr bringt“, sagte der PVV-Chef Geert Wilders der Zeitung „Telegraaf“.
Sollte die Studie „einer großen internationalen Firma“ belegen, dass eine Rückkehr zum Gulden von Vorteil sei, werde die PVV eine Volksabstimmung dazu beantragen. » | AFP/sara | Freitag 11. November 2011
DUTCHNEWS.nl: PVV investigates return of guilder, may call for referendum: The anti-Islam PVV is paying a 'renowned international bureau' to investigate whether bringing back the guilder would benefit the Dutch economy. ¶ If the report is positive, the party will press for a referendum on leaving the euro, party leader Geert Wilders says in Friday's Telegraaf. ¶ 'The cabinet is frightening us by telling us the lights will go out if we leave the euro. Of course it will cost money, but I want to know if going back to the guilder will deliver more in the long term,' Wilders told the paper. » | © DutchNews.nl | Friday, November 11, 2011
March 06, 2010
NZZ ONLINE: Isländer stimmen über Milliarden-Zahlungen ab: Nein zum Abkommen mit Grossbritannien und den Niederlanden erwartet >>> sda/dpa | Samstag, 06. März 2010
September 03, 2009
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Heineken has gone to court to stop a local Swiss group from distributing a spoof brand called Keineken (No Heineken) in protest of the Dutch brewer's dominance of the Swiss beer market.
The judge in Obwalden canton ordered a supply of 1,200 Keineken bottles and matching glasses confiscated after Heineken filed a complaint for trademark infringement.
The Keineken ('Kein Heineken' or No Heineken) campaign is in response to recent acquisitions by the Dutch beer giant on the Swiss beer market. A year ago Heineken acquired the Swiss brewer Eichhof from Luzern. According to Conrad Engler of the Keineken campaign this meant that "the last big independent Swiss brewer ended up in foreign hands".
Eight years ago, when Carlsberg took over the Feldschlösschen brewery in Basel, local beer aficionados founded the Unser Bier (Our beer) brewery in the same city. The Keineken campaign in Luzern was inspired by the Basel action. >>> NRC’s News Staff | Thursday, September 03, 2009
Keineken website >>>
March 05, 2009
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Banks have to go back to the basics of their business of saving and lending, says Dutch princess Máxima. The former banker spoke at a symposium on social banking on Tuesday.
Princess Máxima had nothing good to say about her former colleagues, bankers who have plunged the world into a deep financial crisis. At a meeting organised by Triodos Bank in the Dutch town of Zeist, Máxima said on Tuesday that bankers had lost sight of the core values of their profession. With "overzealous marketing" practices they sold inappropriate loans to vulnerable consumers who did not know what they were getting into. The financial crisis was due in part to these kinds of practices. "Only now we are starting to have some insight in the real extent of the consequences of the last months," the princess said.
Before Máxima met crown prince Willem Alexander ten years ago, she worked as a commercial banker in New York for banks such as Deutsche Bank and HSBC. Máxima gave her talk on Tuesday to mark the founding of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, an alliance of twelve financial institutions focused on social banking and microfinance, including Triodos Bank.
Microfinance
Over the past three years Máxima has served on a UN advisory group for microfinance: the issuing of loans to poor people or starting entrepreneurs in developing countries. The essence of banking, says Máxima, consists of trust, building long-term relationships and offering financial products that have added value. "Neglecting these values seems to be at the heart of the causes of the crisis."
She appealed to governments to set up a "'light touch' but adequate system of market regulation" and to offer consumers financial education, so that they can better understand the financial products they are offered. "It is the role of banks and microfinance institutions to have consumer protection and transparency written into the DNA of their organisation," Máxima said. >>> By Roel Janssen | Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Dutch people who have been on unemployment benefits for more than a year will have to accept any job they are offered, according to new rules supported by a majority in parliament.
Under the new rules, anyone who has been on unemployment benefits for more than a year will have to take any job he or she is offered, even if they are overqualified for the job or if the job pays less than the unemployment benefits.
Dutch unemployment benefits entitle people to 70 percent of their last salary. Provided they have worked for at least four out of the past five years, job seekers are entitled to one month of benefits for every year they have worked, up to a maximum of 38 months.
But the system has come under increasing pressure because of budget concerns. Next year, the Dutch government is expected to spend an additional three billion euros on unemployment benefits. >>> News Staff | Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>
June 23, 2008
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Fearful of a Jordanian boycott of their products, two Dutch companies have distanced themselves from the film Fitna, produced and released earlier this year by Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders. On Sunday, Friesland Foods and the Zwanenberg Food Group placed adverts in Jordanian newspapers to announce that they have nothing to do with the film. They're hoping to prevent their products ending up on a Middle East blacklist.
They took this step after 'The Messenger of Allah Unites Us', a broad coalition of Jordanian political parties, professional organisations and media, printed one million posters showing Dutch and Danish products that - they argue - consumers in Jordan and other Middle East countries ought to boycott. In addition to a number of Danish brand names, the list includes such Dutch companies as KLM, Philips and baby food manufacturer Friso.
There's considerable anger in Jordan regarding Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard and Dutch politician Geert Wilders. The chairman of the coalition, Zakaria Sheik, says that both men have offended Muslims throughout the world and shouldn't escape their punishment. Dutch Companies Fear Jordanian Boycott >>> By Sebastiaan Gottlieb | June 23, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers
May 20, 2008
THE INDEPENDENT: The Dutch government has provoked uproar among the country's business leaders by proposing laws to curb large bonuses and golden handshakes for company bosses.
The Finance minister Wouter Bos launched the "fat cat" crackdown following a series of recent scandals involving "unjustifiable" payouts to prominent business figures. However despite government support, Mr Bos's proposals are under attack from Dutch blue-chips such as Philips, Shell and Unilever, whose chairmen argue they will damage Holland's international competitiveness and drive away corporate talent. "It's something everyone in Europe is concerned about, especially now the economic downturn is starting to bite," said Mr Bos. "You can't expect employees to tighten their belts while those at the top are being paid ever-bigger bonuses, which are often not even linked to their performance. Public support for entrepreneurs will plummet if this continues."
Mr Bos, who leads the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA), has put forward new laws that would slap taxes on companies for over-rewarding bosses. Under the proposed legislation, which is currently making its way through parliament, companies would have to pay a 30 percent tax on severance packages, or "golden parachutes", of more than €500,000 (£398,000), paid to executives when they leave a company. In addition, an extra tax would be levied in cases when company pensions are paid out to executives earning more than €500,000.
There is mounting speculation that Royal Dutch Shell may decide to move its headquarters out of The Hague. Shell's chief executive Jeroen van der Veer said in a newspaper interview: "Either you have a headquarters and accept as part of the bargain that large numbers of people earn high salaries, or you don't. I've noticed there is very little understanding for the needs of a large company. I find this disturbing." Bosses Threaten Dutch Plan to Cap 'Fat Cat' Pay >>> By Vanessa Mock in Brussels | May 19, 2008
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)
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