News from Amsterdam


To the front page

11/1 Jurists want to stay in Oudemanhuispoort

8/2 Mayor’s portrait

8/2 Websites for social cohesion

7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

7/2 GroenLinks on districts: Be a man

6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

2/2 Johnnie Walker avoids taxes in Amsterdam

1/2 Rotterdam to tinker with district councils as well

31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

31/1 ZeeburgTV launched

27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

23/1 KLM takes on crisis with new uniform

23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

20/1 Cleaners welcome new Schiphol director

18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

 

2008 Archive

2007 Archive

2006 Archive

2005 Archive

 

 

 

 

Emancipation machine falters

4 December 2006 – The Amsterdam emancipation machine falters. However, Amsterdammers have become slightly richer during the past years, partly as a result of Minister Rita Verdonk’s strict migration policies. This appears from data published by Statistics Netherlands today.

During the past years, immigration has dropped considerably, while emigration increased. In 2001, international migration on balance resulted in almost six thousand new Amsterdammers; last year, on balance two thousand left the city. Meanwhile, the number of rich residents that move to cities such as Almere has dropped.

Last year, the now Alderman Maarten van Poelgeest (Green Party) and his fellow party member and Member of the Senate Leo Platvoet (photo) published a book praising Amsterdam as an “emancipation machine that absorbs fortune seekers and produces people who have made it”.

The authors find that the city must promote social mobility rather than forcedly trying to hold on to the middle class. They also argue for an open attitude towards immigrants, the ‘life blood’ of the city.

This vision of Amsterdam as an emancipation machine was embraced by Mayor Job Cohen in his New Year’s speech, and formally it is also part of the political programme of the city administration. Political support is limited though, because most parties want to do all they can to hold on to the middle class.

More: Amsterdam as emancipation machine

 

Want to receive News from Amsterdam? Click here

 

This is the old website. Please find new content here