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Category: The Netherlands

Dutch queen warns nation of tough economic times

By Mike Corder Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—Dutch Queen Beatrix warned her subjects Tuesday to brace for a year of tough budget cuts as the government struggles to protect the economy from any shocks emanating from Europe’s debt crisis.

Beatrix’s speech to lawmakers in Parliament’s 13th century “Knights’ Hall” was the first written by the conservative government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, which came to power last year pledging to slash euro 18 billion in government spending.

“The year ahead will be a year of tough savings measures that will hit everybody,” Beatrix warned, after riding from the Noordeinde Palace to Parliament in her gold-trimmed carriage through the crowd-lined streets of The Hague.

The measures included in Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager’s budget already have been widely publicized after it was accidentally posted online last Thursday.

They include deep cuts to the country’s generous social security network and raising the retirement age from 65 to 66 in 2020 and to 67 five years later.

The government is forecasting economic growth of 1 percent in 2012, inflation of 2 percent and a budget deficit of 2.9 percent.

It has also warned that more savings may still be necessary, depending on developments in the debt crisis.

“A well-functioning European internal market and stable euro are essential for the government’s goals,” Beatrix said.

Opposition Labor Party leader Job Cohen slammed the government for a divisive package of savings.

“The pile of cuts by the Cabinet hits large groups of people,” Cohen said. “But the richest are being sheltered and the Netherlands will become weaker in the long term because of the plans.”

De Jager was formally presenting his budget package to lawmakers later Tuesday.

“The debt crisis underscores the importance of healthy government finances,” he tweeted after the queen’s speech. “Budgetary discipline is an absolute priority for this Cabinet.”

www.boston.com, September 20, 2011

Economic storm threatens the Netherlands, says finance minister

The Netherlands will have to dig its heels in to withstand the coming economic storm, finance minister Jan Kees de Jager told MPs on Tuesday, as he formally handed over the government’s 2012 spending plans to parliament.

‘We are being threatened by something, but we don’t know what is heading for us, or when”, the minister said.

‘It is clear that 2012 is going to be a difficult year for a lot of people,’ De Jager said. ‘We have to make difficult choices and they will hurt.’

€70m too much

The Netherlands is a financially solid country, but still runs a deficit and the debt is increasing. This year alone the country will spend €70m too much every day.

The cabinet is trying to carve out a leading role in restoring financial stability to the EU, he said. This is why the government is keen to tighten up eurozone budget rules and prevent the spread of the Greek crisis. In the long term ‘we have to ensure our weaker brother does not bring down other countries in its wake,’ De Jager said.

MPs and ministers will hold two days of debate on the 2012 plans on Wednesday and Thursday. The actual documents were published last week but ministers have refrained from commenting on them since then.

www.dutchnews.nl, 20 September 2011

September 21, 2011
Immigration and Islam Raise Questions of Dutch Identity

Amid Rise of Multiculturalism, Dutch Confront Their Questions of Identity

By STEVEN ERLANGER

AMSTERDAM — Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian who admitted to mass killings last month, was obsessed with Islam and had high praise for the Netherlands, an important test case in the resurgence of the anti-immigrant right in northern Europe.

Herman Wouters for The New York Times

Albert Cuyp Market, on a popular street in Amsterdam. In light of the mass killings in Norway, the Netherlands’ population of Muslim immigrants from Morocco and Turkey has stirred debate.

The sometimes violent European backlash against Islam and its challenge to national values can be said to have started here, in a country born from Europe’s religious wars. After a decade of growing public anger, an aggressively anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim politician, Geert Wilders, leads the third-largest party, which keeps the government in power.

In Slotervaart, a majority immigrant neighborhood in southwestern Amsterdam, Maria Kuhlman and her friends watched Muslim families stroll by on a Ramadan afternoon, some of the men in robes and beards, the women wearing headscarves. A large blond woman shouted, “Go Wilders!”

Mr. Wilders’ Freedom Party, which combines racist language with calls for more social spending, won 15.5 percent of the vote in June 2010. He was recently acquitted of charges of hate speech for comparing the Koran to “Mein Kampf” and calling mosques “palaces of hatred.” Mr. Wilders has said that immigrant Muslims and their children should be deported if they break the law, or engage in behavior he has described as “problematic, ” or they are “lazy.” He also warns of the supposed Muslim plot to create “Eurabia.” He declined repeated interview requests.

While many Dutch recoil at his language, he touches on real fears. “Sometimes I’m afraid of Islam,” Ms. Kuhlman said. “They’re taking over the neighborhood and they’re very strong. I don’t love Wilders. He’s a pig, but he says what many people think.”

Now, after Norway, the Dutch are taking stock. The killings frightened everyone, said Kathleen Ferrier, a Christian Democrat legislator born in Surinam, who had objected to her party joining a Wilders-supported government. “Norway makes it clear how much Dutch society is living on the edge of its nerves,” she said. “Wilders says hateful things and no one objects. We have freedom of speech, but you also have to be responsible for the effect of your words.”

Taboos about discussing ethnicity and race — founded in shame about delivering Dutch Jews to the Nazis — are long gone.

via Immigration and Islam Raise Questions of Dutch Identity – NYTimes.com.

September 16, 2011
Hackers steal SSL certificates for CIA, MI6, Mossad

Criminals acquired over 500 DigiNotar digital certificates; Mozilla and Google issue ‘death sentence’

By Gregg Keizer

Computerworld – The tally of digital certificates stolen from a Dutch company in July has exploded to more than 500, including ones for intelligence services like the CIA, the U.K.’s MI6 and Israel’s Mossad, a Mozilla developer said Sunday.

The confirmed count of fraudulently-issued SSL (secure socket layer) certificates now stands at 531, said Gervase Markham, a Mozilla developer who is part of the team that has been working to modify Firefox to blocks all sites signed with the purloined certificates.

Among the affected domains, said Markham, are those for the CIA, MI6, Mossad, Microsoft, Yahoo, Skype, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft’s Windows Update service.

“Now that someone (presumably from Iran) has obtained a legit HTTPS cert for CIA.gov, I wonder if the US gov will pay attention to this mess,” Christopher Soghoian, a Washington D.C.-based researcher noted for his work on online privacy, said in a tweet Saturday.

Soghoian was referring to assumptions by many experts that Iranian hackers, perhaps supported by that country’s government, were behind the attack. Google has pointed fingers at Iran, saying that attacks using an ill-gotten certificate for google.com had targeted Iranian users.

All the certificates were issued by DigiNotar, a Dutch issuing firm that last week admitted its network had been hacked in July.

The company claimed that it had revoked all the fraudulent certificates, but then realized it had overlooked one that could be used to impersonate any Google service, including Gmail. DigiNotar went public only after users reported their findings to Google.

Criminals or governments could use the stolen certificates to conduct “man-in-the-middle” attacks, tricking users into thinking they were at a legitimate site when in fact their communications were being secretly intercepted.

Google and Mozilla said this weekend that they would permanently block all the digital certificates issued by DigiNotar, including those used by the Dutch government.

Their decisions come less than a week after Google, Mozilla and Microsoft all revoked more than 200 SSL (secure socket layer) certificates for use in their browsers, but left untouched hundreds more, many of which were used by the Dutch government to secure its websites.

“Based on the findings and decision of the Dutch government, as well as conversations with other browser makers, we have decided to reject all of the Certificate Authorities operated by DigiNotar,” Heather Adkins, an information security manager for Google, said in a Saturday blog post.

Johnathan Nightingale, director of Firefox engineering, echoed that late on Friday.

“All DigiNotar certificates will be untrusted by Mozilla products,” said Nightingale, who also said that the Dutch government had reversed its position of last week — when it had asked browser makers to exempt its DigiNotar certificates.

“The Dutch government has since audited DigiNotar’s performance and rescinded this assessment,” Nightingale said. “This is not a temporary suspension, it is a complete removal from our trusted root program.”

On Saturday, Piet Hein Donner, the Netherlands’s Minister of the Interior, said the government could not guarantee the security of its websites because of the DigiNotar hack, and told citizens not to log into its sites until new certificates had been obtained from other sources.

The DigiNotar breach is being audited by Fox-IT, which told the Dutch government that it was likely certificates for its sites had been fraudulently acquired by hackers.

Several security researchers said the move by browser makers puts an end to DigiNotar’s certificate business.

“Effectively a death sentence for DigiNotar,” said Jeremiah Grossman, CTO of WhiteHat Security, in a Friday tweet.

Mozilla was scathing in its criticism of DigiNotar.

Nightingale ticked off the missteps that led Mozilla to permanently block all sites signed with the company’s certificates, including DigiNotar’s failure to notify browser vendors in July and its inability to tell how many certificates had been illegally obtained. “[And] the attack is not theoretical,” Nightingale added. “We have received multiple reports of these certificates being used in the wild.”

Markham went into greater detail on the hack and its ramifications. “It has now emerged that DigiNotar had not noticed the full extent of the compromise,” said Markham in a Saturday post to his personal blog. “The attackers had managed to hide the traces of the misissuance — perhaps by corrupting log files.”

Because the Google certificate that prompted DigiNotar to acknowledge the intrusion was obtained before most of the others, Markham speculated that there had actually been two separate attacks, perhaps by different groups.

“It is at least possible (but entirely speculative) that an initial competent attacker has had access to [DigiNotar’s] systems for an unknown amount of time, and a second attacker gained access more recently and their less-subtle, bull-in-a-china shop approach in issuing the [hundreds of] certificates triggered the alarms,” he said.

Last week, Helsinki-based antivirus company F-Secure said it had found signs that DigiNotar’s network had been compromised as early as May 2009.

Mozilla will update Firefox 6 and Firefox 3.6 on Tuesday to permanently block all DigiNotar-issued certificates, including those used by the Dutch government.

On Saturday Google updated Chrome to do the same.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg’s RSS feed . His e-mail address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.

www.computerworld.com, 4 September 2011

September 5, 2011
Dutch MP acquitted in ‘hate’ trial

Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders has been acquitted by a court in Amsterdam where he was on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.

Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party, has described Islam as a “fascist ideology”, comparing the Quran to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. He was acquitted on all five charges that were pressed against him.

The judge on Thursday said that Wilders’ statements were “rude and condescending” but not a criminal offence according to Dutch law.

“The bench finds that your statements are acceptable within the context of the public debate,” the judge told Wilders, who has been on trial in the Amsterdam regional court since last October.

Wilders has said he has a “problem with Islamic tradition, culture, [and] ideology; not with Muslim people”.

The judge interpreted Wilders’ remarks as challenging Islam as an ideology, which is not a criminal offence in the Netherlands. “[…] although gross and degenerating, it did not give rise to hatred,” the judge said.

Wilders supporters applauded and he smiled as he left the courtroom.

Freedom of speech

A collection of minority groups that view Wilders’ comments as having overstepped the boundaries of free speech first pressed charges in 2007; however, the Dutch public prosecution refused to pursue Wilders, saying it did not believe in a successful outcome to the case.

In 2009 an Amsterdam appeals court overturned that decision and ordered an investigation into “Fitna”

(“Discord” in Arabic) – a short film Wilders produced on alleged Islamic extremism.

The case against Wilders started in January 2010, but then collapsed following claims that the judges were biased. It was re-started a month later.

Wilders’ supporters labelled the case a left-wing conspiracy and a head-on attack on freedom of expression in the Netherlands.

On the other side of the spectrum, anti-Wilders groups warned the plaintiffs of the consequences of giving the politician a platform, fearing it would only raise his profile further.

Wilders formed his Freedom Party [PVV] – now the country’s third largest party – after defecting from the VVD [right-wing liberals] in 2004 and has seen his following grow ever since.

Wilders’ anti-Islamic and anti-establishment ideas won the PVV 15 per cent of the vote at the 2010 election.

Wilders, who remained silent throughout most of the proceedings, argued in his final statement on 6 May that: “The Netherlands is under threat of Islam. Truth and freedom are inextricably connected. We must speak the truth because otherwise we shall lose our freedom.”

He reminded the court of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn, who was murdered in 2002 by a left-wing environmentalist for his political ideas, and Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh, who was murdered by a Muslim extremist in 2004 after making comments on Islam.

“I am here because of what I have said,” Wilders stated, “I am here for having spoken. I have spoken, I speak and I shall continue to speak. Many have kept silent, but not Pim Fortuyn, not Theo van Gogh, and not me.”

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via Dutch MP acquitted in ‘hate’ trial – Europe – Al Jazeera English.

June 24, 2011
gulfnews : Two arrested for rare tulip smuggling

Officials seize a total of 160 different endemic species out of 5,236 plant seeds the two men, aged 60 and 29, had in their vehicle

By Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief

Manama: Turkish police have arrested two Dutch nationals at the Kapıkule border crossing between Turkey and Bulgaria for allegedly attempting to smuggle out 57 rare tulip bulbs, the Anatolia news agency said.

According to the agency, officials seized a total of 160 different endemic species out of the 5,236 plant seeds the two men, aged 60 and 29, had in their vehicle. The seizure is the largest alleged attempt to smuggle plants out of Turkey in the country’s history.

Officials discovered numerous different plant species in small pots, a hidden compartment full of plant seeds, as well as tulip bulbs that had been concealed by newspapers. The vehicle was sent for an X-ray inspection, the agency said. The two men said they were taking the seeds to use in their own garden.

Experts from Trakya University’s Biology Department said that the confiscated plants, especially the upside-down tulip (Fritillaria Michailovskyi) which is only grown in the eastern province of Erzurum and the eastern district of Şemdinli in Hakkari, were endemic species and their export was illegal.

The Fritillaria Michailovskyi is also known as the Adıyaman Lalesi in Turkey.

The tulip bulbs and the other endemic species were sent to the Yalova Atatürk Garden Culture Center Institute following the men’s detention, Hurriyet Daily News reported on Sunday.

A total of 57 “upside-down” tulip bulbs were allegedly seized from the vehicle. The two Dutch men were allegedly seen by Artvin Çoruh University students while they were collecting plants in Artvin’s Kafkasör area, near to Erzurum.

Erdal Kaya, a Turkish botanical expert, said plant smuggling was one of the biggest problems that Turkey was currently experiencing and that there were only 57 upside-down tulip bulb species in the world, making them at risk of becoming extinct.

Kaya said other countries’ plant seeds were also in danger and added that the Dutch pair had allegedly stolen species from Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Iran, Syria and Georgia.

According to the expert, tulip bulbs are very valuable and are used in cancer and Alzheimer research.

“A total of 19 endemic plant species are under protection, and the upside-down tulip bulb is among them,” he said.

via gulfnews : Two arrested for rare tulip smuggling.

June 20, 2011
Turks in the Netherlands praise Turkey’s economy

Thousands of kilometers away from their homeland, Turks living in the Netherlands are still taking a keen interest in the Turkish economy, lauding the visible improvements observed over the past decade in particular.

The journey of Turks moving to foreign countries started in the 1960s when the population of Western Europe was not able to meet its fast-growing need for labor. The first Turkish “gastarbeiters” (guest workers) arrived in Germany in 1961, followed by the Netherlands, Austria and Belgium in 1964. Since then, the population of Turks in the European Union has edged 4 million people. Following Germany — where the Turkish population is the highest — the importance of the Turkish community in the Netherlands has also increased over time.

The opinions of this group of allochtoon (immigrant in Dutch) about the Turkish economy is important since they only visit Turkey once a year or even less and therefore have the opportunity to observe whether the country is changing positively or negatively over time. When looking at the Turkish economy over the last seven years, it is evident that many have noticed some major successes. The country reported an annual growth figure of 8.9 percent in the past year while its exports reached $114 billion, and national income per capita passed $10,000. These are just a few of the evident improvements. However, there are still objections that this economic progress is not being reflected equally across the community, and some say it has just made the rich even richer.

In remarks to Sunday’s Zaman, Fatih Kulaksızoğlu, an economist at a Dutch pension company, said Turkey is seen as attractive for foreigners with its noteworthy growth figures in a period where European economies such as Greece, Portugal and Spain are facing financial troubles. “Turkey managed to come out of the global financial crisis stronger, together with major emerging countries like China and India. I view the economy like a race and Turkey is now much closer to the finish line,” he says.

Tahir İpekçi, a cab driver in Amsterdam who visits Turkey once a year, has similar views and especially notes that Turkey has managed to achieve price stability in the country. “I remember when the prices of services, products and foods in Turkey showed a big difference from year to year. We would have a hard time getting used to the price fluctuations. But now this has changed a lot in line with its [economic] development. I can definitely say that there is price stability in the country now,” he adds.

Commenting on the claims of some groups in Turkey who argue that this economic growth has not been reflected in the lives of ordinary people, İpekçi said he certainly believes the welfare of every single Turk has improved. “For instance, in my hometown of Büyüköz in Yozgat’s Boğazlıyan district, people were demanding drinking fountains and roads to the city center from the mayor. But now, they are asking for community centers where they can gather and participate in personal development activities. How can a poor public ask for these kinds of things from the municipality?” he notes. “Almost all of the villagers now buy their bread, cheese or other foods from the market instead of making their own and they have Internet connections at home. Are these not signs of development over time?” he asks.

On the other hand, Kulaksızoğlu thinks that it will take some time for the rise in welfare to be reflected at the individual level. He says it is normal to witness unfair income distribution in emerging economies such as Turkey, adding that this will disappear when the country matures. “When a country grows, capital is the winner in the first phase. The labor force will come next,” he adds. “The problem with Turkey is some groups have benefited more from the economic growth than others. This is basically where the debates starts — whether wealth has increased for every single person.”

Things yet to be improved

“Despite improvements in many fields, Turkey still has some issues that could lead the country into trouble in the near future,” Kulaksızoğlu said. He noted that economic fragility, such as a plunge in the value of the Turkish lira and a rising current account deficit, even a small change at a time when there is a negative development in international markets, could cause headaches for economic administrators if they cannot control it. “In terms of the sustainability of attracting foreign capital into the country, it is essential to control foreign exchange stability and the current account deficit,” he noted.

Another point Kulaksızoğlu highlighted was the prevalence of the unregistered economy in Turkey. He says it is not always wise to increase the tax rate in order to collect more taxes. “By decreasing tax rates, the number of employees with social security could increase as employers would need to pay fewer taxes for the pension, insurance, etc., for their employees. … Besides, increasing income tax does not mean that taxation income will effectively rise. This could deter people from paying taxes,” he says.

via zaman

June 5, 2011