Balkenende became prime minister in July In November , filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, who had recently released a controversial film that was critical of Islam and highlighted the abuse of Muslim women, was killed by a militant Muslim. Van Gogh's murder sent shockwaves throughout the country and increased the ethnic tension fomenting throughout the country.
In , just days after French voters rejected the EU constitution in a referendum, the voters in the Netherlands followed suit. Karst Tates, a year-old Dutch national, drove his car into a crowd of people at a Queen's Day parade in May in Apeldoorn. He narrowly missed hitting a bus that was carrying Queen Beatrix and other members of the royal family.
Five people died in the crash. Tates, who later died of injuries sustained in the crash, admitted he was attempting to assassinate the royal family. Balkenende's coalition fell apart in Feb. Troops were scheduled to return home in , but at the urging of the U. His governing partner, the Labor Party, however, had demanded full withdrawal and pulled out of the government in protest. The economy, rather than Afghanistan and immigration, was the main issue during the campaign season for June's parliamentary elections.
The VVD entered into coalition talks with the Christian Democrats and the far-right Freedom Party, led by Geert Wilders, a controversial figure known for his anti-Islam and anti-immigration fervor. The Freedom Party increased its number of seats from 9 to After months of negotiations, the Liberal and Christian Democrat parties agreed in October to form a minority government with support from the Freedom Party. Mark Rutte, a businessman and the leader of the Liberal Party, became prime minister and the head of the minority government.
Early parliamentary elections are scheduled for Sept. September election results were a surprise victory for centrists. A coalition government of the liberal VVD party and the Labour Party was the outcome of polling that reflected popular opinion firmly seated in the center-right and center-left. Prime Minister Mark Rutte remained in office.
On January 28, , Queen Beatrix announced on television that she would leave the throne on April 30, , which is Queen's Day or Koninginnedag, a national holiday in the Netherlands. At age 75, Queen Beatrix was the oldest reigning monarch of the Netherlands.
Queen Beatrix announced that her son Willem-Alexander, age 45, would succeed her to the throne. On April 30, , he became the first king the Netherlands has had in years. The last king was his great-great-grandfather, William III, in In July , a Dutch court found the Netherlands liable for the murder of more than Bosnian Muslim men and boys in July At the time of their murder, the men and boys had been at a United Nations compound in Srebrenica, a compound that was being protected by the Dutch peacekeeping forces, Dutchbat.
About 8, total were killed by Bosnian-Serb forces during the Bosnian War. The case was brought to the Dutch court by relatives of the victims who called themselves, "Mothers of Srebrenica. The court ruled that Dutchbat did not do enough to protect the men and boys at the compound.
The court also said that Dutchbat should have known that the victims would have been killed when handed over to the Bosnian Serbs. By co-operating in the deportation of these men, Dutchbat acted unlawfully," the court said in the ruling. Due to the ruling, the Netherlands must pay compensation to the victims' families. Until , all the islands together formed the Netherlands Antilles, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Dutch love football and the national 'Orange' team in particular.
Read more about the national sport here. Bitterballen, stroopwafels and other typically Dutch foods. Discover our top 5 and eat like a local. Skip to content Skip to menu Skip to search. Fun facts about the Netherlands. Did you know that the Netherlands is the most densely populated country in Europe?
Is it true that the Dutch really eat so much cheese? What about the football madness, all those flapping flags on 27 April and the famous 'fight against the water'?
Read the facts and trivia about our country, the royal family and things you might notice during your visit. Speaking a few words Dutch Dutch is the official language in the Netherlands. The Royal Family. Pastures and cloudy skies A favourite topic of conversation for the Dutch is the weather. Cycling through the polders in Friesland. Walking along the heaths in NP Sallandse Heuvelrug.
Dutch and the water. The difference between the Netherlands and Holland and other riddles Watch this video: The Netherlands vs. Although we Dutch call our country 'the Netherlands', abroad it is better known as 'Holland'. But that is not right! Watch the video, and you find out why. Almost a third of the Netherlands is below sea level. The Dutch are the tallest people in the world.
More sheep than people live on the Wadden Island of Texel. Amsterdam is built entirely on piles and has bridges. The Netherlands has the highest museum density in the world. Dutch people eat an average of Every Dutch citizen with the right to vote can vote in parliamentary elections once they reach the age of Voting is not compulsory in the Netherlands.
Anyone aged 18 or older can also stand as a candidate for election. You can read more about government and parliament at government. The Constitution sets out the rules for the system of government in the Netherlands. It also lays down the fundamental rights of citizens.
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