Dutch king hopes people will start thinking less in black-and-white terms

In his speech from the throne, the Dutch king highlighted issues that, according to the government, cannot wait for elections and the formation of a new cabinet –– from the housing shortage to violence against women.

But he also spoke about the divisions in society, noting that people increasingly think in terms of black and white. ‘As if one person's right automatically implies another's wrong, while social reality is almost always infinitely more complex than that.’

The king mentioned several places in which this phenomenon can be observed, including universities, which have regularly been the stage of fierce demonstrations against violence in Palestine. ‘Many people in our country feel deeply involved in the future of Israel and the Palestinians and are extremely concerned about the emergency situation in Gaza,’ said Willem-Alexander. ‘Everyone wants human suffering to end as soon as possible. The cabinet fervently hopes – and will also work to ensure – that people do not become even more divided on this issue.’

Festive attire
Dick Schoof's cabinet is acting in a caretaker capacity. Two of the four parties that formed the coalition have left the boat, so now only BBB (the Farmer-Citizen Movement) and VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) are still in the cabinet. This means the cabinet is not allowed to make any major decisions, and new elections will be held in October.

Those attending the speech from the throne usually pay a lot of attention to their sartorial choices. Some senators wore red clothes to protest against the violence perpetrated by Israel, while BBB leader Caroline van der Plas chose a dress in the colours of the Israeli flag.

But it wasn't all about war and peace. The new Minister of Education, Gouke Moes, put vocational education in the spotlight by having his hair cut by a hairdresser in training. ‘This is only the third time in my life that I've been to a hairdresser, so this is very special for me. So far, it's going great, it's so much fun.’

Science
Some of the guests who accompanied representatives to Ridderzaal, the room where the speech took place, also conveyed a message.  Member of Parliament Sandra Beckerman (Socialist Party) took palaeontologist Melanie During as her plus one to protest against the budget cuts hitting higher education and research. 

Many television viewers in the Netherlands know the researcher, whose hair is dyed bright pink, from the show De Slimste Mens (The Smartest Person), but During also made world news thanks to her discovery that it was spring in the northern hemisphere when the meteorite struck, causing the dinosaurs to become extinct.

Yesterday, the Minister of Finance also presented the Budget Memorandum for 2026. Its contents were partially leaked ahead of the official announcement.