This motivation is included in the bill introducing the ban. Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Liesbeth Spies presented it to the Cabinet, which approved it on Friday. The bill is expected to be sent early next week to the House of Representatives, together with a response to the Council of State’s advisory opinion on it. By introducing the bill the government is fulfilling a pledge made in the coalition agreement.

A ban on wearing clothing that covers the face is important in ensuring a society in which everyone can participate fully. Requiring women to wear face-covering burkas or niqabs in public is incompatible with the principle of gender equality. With this bill the government is removing an obstacle to women’s social participation. The protection of social intercourse and public order in Dutch society is a legitimate reason for restricting the wearing of clothing that covers the face. The government therefore believes that the bill does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights.

The ban applies to all forms of clothing that covers the face, including balaclavas as well as burkas. The bill forbids this clothing in public spaces, public buildings, educational and healthcare institutions and public transport. Infringements of the ban will carry a fine of up to 390 euros.

The ban does not apply to face coverings that are necessary for health, safety or the practice of an occupation or sport. There are exceptions to the ban for events such as Sinterklaas, Carnival and Halloween, and mayors are authorised to lift the ban temporarily for a specific event. The ban does not apply to places and buildings that are intended for religious use, on aircraft, or to passengers who pass through Dutch airports in transit to their final destination.

Source: government.nl

Dutch minister Ivo Opstelten admitted that while the Dutch government is “experimenting with Google Docs and Dropbox”, though data is believed to be stored on Dutch territory, it is unknown whether they are managed by U.S. companies.

The Dutch government wants to bar U.S. companies from providing cloud-based services in order to prevent sensitive citizen data from being compromised by U.S. authorities.

32 percent of the nearly one thousand people who took part in a quarterly survey were satisfied with the Netherlands.

That is 8 percent more than last year. A majority of respondents have confidence in parliament and in the Dutch Government. 56 percent believe there is spoken too negative about immigrants.

Furthermore, 54 percent believes that the Netherlands is losing its identity. More and more people worry about the number of immigrants.

In addition, people are dissatisfied with “the gap between rich and poor ‘and’ bonuses to the top. Only 31 percent of respondents are satisfied with the euro despite the economic crisis. Nearly half of all surveyed would prefer a smaller European Union.

The researchers attributed the positive changes mainly to the plans of the new right wing government, where addressing both crime and insecurity is high on the agenda.

The Belgian Senator, Arleen Temmerman, announced this to all negotiators.

The senator’s idea follows the example of Kenya. When the negotiations for a new government dragged on for a long time in 2009. The Women’s movements in Kenya called the women of the negotiators to stop having sex.

“A week later, the document was on the table, ” said Temmerman in the Belgian newspaper De Morgen.

In Belgium they are already negotiating for about 7 months to form a new government.

Recently one of Belgium’s best-known actors, Benoit Poelvoorde, urged his fellow citizens not to shave again until the country finally forms a government.

Belgians went to polls in June last year but an inconclusive result has left them with a caretaker government.

Mark Rutte, head of the Liberal VVD party, announced the accord with the Christian Democratic Alliance and Wilders’ Freedom Party, which will back the government without sitting in the Cabinet. Together, they control 76 of parliament’s 150 seats.

The accord came 3 1/2 months after deadlocked parliamentary elections. Policy details of the alliance were not immediately released.

PVV leader Geert Wilders spoke of a historic agreement. “This is a great day for the Netherlands. At last something is happening in the Netherlands, “Wilders said.

The accord Tuesday among the party leaders needs approval of the parties’ parliament members. Several members of the Christian Democrats have objected to a government that relies on Wilders for its survival.

Rutte said the coalition agreement would be presented to party colleagues on Wednesday.

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The collapse of the Christian Democrat, Labour, ChristenUnie government was inevitable, opposition party leaders said in their initial reactions.

After several days of marathon discussions, Labor Party members quit the coalition government.

News of the Cabinet dissolving followed speculation that the political squabble over Afghanistan could not be settled.

The Netherlands has roughly 2,000 troops serving in Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province as part of NATO’s International Security and Assistance Force. The Dutch government extended the military mission by two years back in 2007.

Deputy Prime Minister Wouter Bos, leader of the Labour Party, opposed fulfilling NATO’s request to extend the mission again.

Bos said that the current Afghanistan policy was not sustainable, according to the official ANP news agency.

The Christian Democratic Alliance, Labour Party and Christian Union entered into a coalition agreement in 2007 but have disagreed on several issues including Afghanistan.

The debating champions of the Netherlands can now enjoy an early vacation.

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Large investments of the government are to blame. This would help the government to tackle climate change plans for 2020 and limit budget spending, according to a news article

The exact breakdown of costs to businesses and individuals is not known. According to the government, the impact of all its climate change policies – will be to add several hundred euro’s to household bills between now and 2020.