Winter shows up early in Amsterdam. Along the quays of the outer canals, cyclists wearing gloves and scarves pedal W about, unfazed by the puddles. Underneath rainbow flags, hunched-over coffee drinkers brave the bitter cold and breathe fog between sips. Far from the boisterous and tourist-infested anarchy that is the city centre, this place is orderly, understated and, so it seems, alluring.
While it's no Australia or Britain, the Netherlands has established itself as another place putting out the welkom mat to Kiwis seeking an OE. According to data from the Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid (Ministry of Justice and Security), which regulates migration in the country, the number of New Zealanders applying for working holiday visas and work permits in the Netherlands nearly doubled between 2016 and 2023 to about 500 a year. Add these newcomers to those who have pitched up over the past two decades and you'll get quite a sizeable Kiwi community.
But, under the surface of this charming progenitor of progress, change is brewing.
On November 22, the Dutch gave far-right Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) 23.49% of the vote - more than any other party in the notoriously fractured parliamentary system.
During his campaign, Wilders spelt out his desire to tear up environmental regulations, used the words "zero tolerance for street scum" and spoke of bans on mosques, Islamic headscarves in public buildings and possession of the Qur'an. Even if Wilders' place in government is far from a given (the PVV was the largest party with 37 seats but needs support from other parties to form a coalition government), his electoral success indicates that much of the population is vehemently opposed to how things have been going.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 20 - 26 2024-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Spilt milk
Excess dietary calcium goes into toilets, not bones.
To the Max
The testosterone and torments of late adolescence are centre stage in this novel about finding your place in life.
A chemical killer
A new book outlines the life of a woman who may well have been New Zealand’s most prolific poisoner. What was it that led police to exhume the body of her husband from its watery grave?
Creating the WOW factor
Meg Williams, in charge of the biggest festival involving a bunch of people wearing wacky outfits, admits she's not very flamboyant in her own dressing.
Leaving it all on the park
After cancer treatment, Graeme Downes takes stock of a musical life leading The Verlaines and lecturing future generations of songwriters.
Wrong message
A UK journalist who came here to talk about Rwanda’s authoritarian regime found herself the victim of a social media hate campaign.
Busting a gut
IBD is escalating, seemingly thanks to the Western lifestyle, and New Zealand has one of the highest rates in the world.
The point of Peters
There's been much to admire about the NZ First leader's politics over the years, but where has it got him?
Don't call us ...
Finland's ingenuity galvanised the rapid global uptake of cellphones, so it's paradoxical the country's latest claim to fame should be the elevation of no-speakies to a new commercial opportunity.
He is here
In the week my brother died, there was a storm in the universe.
