Morning newspapers – 1 March 2007 01/03/2007 00:00

Trouw

Little support for coalition accord

The fourth Balkenende government is optimistic about its debut in Parliament later today. But there doesn't seem to be much support among the public for the coalition agreement.

Pact against poverty runs aground

The ambitious project of large Dutch banks and the government to join forces to fight poverty has failed.

Nederlands Dagblad

New government fears gap in the budget

The new government may have to work away a gap in the budget of EUR 1.7 billion during its first months in office. This has emerged from the overviews that the various ministries drew up for the now completed government formation process.

Support among CU voters for gay adoption

A quarter of voters that support the strict protestant ChristenUnie party thinks that same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children. 52 percent thinks that gay marriage should be prohibited.

Dagblad De Pers

Balkenende IV finally meets Parliament

It is time for the confrontation. The government will meet with Parliament today for the first time to debate the government declaration: Let the games begin!

PvdA wants to change public transport in Randstad

The PvdA fears that tendering the public transport system per city will lead to deadlock in mobility in the Randstad. The party is calling on new Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings to immediately stop the tendering procedure for public transport in the four large cities.

De Volkskrant

Dutch more suicidal than previously assumed

The Dutch are much more prone to consider suicide than anyone previously assumed. Every year more than 400,000 people feel desperate enough to consider suicide, while almost a quarter of these – 94,000 – actually makes some attempt to take their own lives.

'Adoption not a good alternative to abortion'

Contrary to what the new government maintains, giving up a child is not necessary an alternative to adoption, says FIOM, an organisation that provides counselling for women facing unwanted pregnancy, putting up children for adoption, and abortion. "This matter is being taken too lightly. Giving up a child is often a traumatic event in a woman's life," says Astrid Werdmuller, social worker at Fiom.

NRC Next

Opposition has to show its cards

The tone has been set. In the debate on the government statement today Geert Wilders, faction leader of the Party for Freedom, will immediately be submitting a motion of no-confidence against two state secretaries (Aboutaleb and Albayrak, both PvdA) who have not even acted in their official capacity yet, and who have therefore not even had the chance to do anything wrong. The PVV says they are unable to do their job well because they have dual nationality, and by extension divided loyalties.

De Telegraaf

Family drama in Belgium

Belgium was shocked by an unprecedented family drama on Wednesday. In an act of desperation a mother suffering from depression cut the throats of her four daughters and one son, aged 3 to 14, in the Wallonian town of Nijvel. She tried to commit suicide afterwards.

Rabo team in danger of missing Tour

The Rabo cycling team might miss the Tour de France this summer. If Michael Boogerd's team does not appear next week on Sunday at the Paris-Nice start, it will not be invited to take part in the Tour de France.

Het Financieele Dagblad

Regulations could cost billions less

Businesses, citizens and governments could save billions on the cost of complying with regulations. Not only businesses' compliance must be reviewed.

Brouwer wants to scrap name Laurus

CEO Jan Brouwer wants to get rid of the name Laurus by the end of the year. The new top man at the troubled supermarket company said the brand name retains "too much of a negative reputation," which could make the company's restart difficult.

AD

Secondary school admission is arbitrary

Secondary schools have rather arbitrary policy for the admission of first year students. Many schools use the CITO scores (national standardised tests). While at some a score of 542 is just enough to enter the senior general secondary education programme (HAVO), other schools allow students with the very same score to enter pre-university programmes (VWO).

Tailor asks Beatrix for help

During Queen Beatrix's visit to Kayseri in Turkey on Wednesday. A tailor named Zekeriya Gümüs entreated the queen to intervene on his behalf so that he may come live in the Netherlands. Ten years ago Gümüs was forced to return to Turkey because he could not demonstrate that he had been living in the Netherlands uninterrupted for five years. He has always hoped to return.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]

Subject: Dutch news