SINT MAARTEN/THE NETHERLANDS – The head of the Dutch military security service MIVD has told the Financieele Dagblad in an interview that “it is possible” Russia will start a regional conflict once it is “finished with Ukraine,” with the aim of testing whether the Nato alliance can be broken up.

Peter Reesink, who took over at the helm of the MIVD in February, told the paper that Russia could be ready for an armed conflict with Nato before 2030 and that he is taking an “actual attack” into account.

The Baltic and Scandinavian countries are far better prepared for conflict than the Netherlands because they are closer to Russia and encounter Russian warships on a daily basis, he said.

“We cannot lean back and sleep,” he told the paper. “More than that, the Netherlands and a number of other countries need to wake up. As a society, we have believed for a long time that our companies do business all over the world and our economic links will ensure there is no more conflict. But things don’t work like that.”

Nato speech

The MIVD director’s interview comes just a day after new Nato chief and former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said in a speech that the alliance needed to “shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge our defense production and defense spending.”

Moscow, he said, is “preparing for long-term confrontation with Ukraine and with us,” and noted that the current security situation is the worst in his lifetime.
“We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years,” he said in his first major speech since becoming secretary general in October.

Just last week, the Dutch defense ministry said the cabinet is to take more steps to ensure the country can withstand a major armed conflict or other crises, such as a pandemic or long-lasting collapse in essential services.

“The Russian aggression, which extends beyond Ukraine, has made possible something that was once unthinkable: the direct involvement of Nato—and thus our country—in a large-scale armed conflict,” defense minister Ruben Brekelmans said in a 19-page briefing to parliament.

“While this conflict may not occur on Dutch soil, if our country is involved or if it takes place in the vicinity of the Netherlands, we will also be part of it.”

Destabilisation

The focus is also on attempts from abroad to destabilise Dutch society, create unrest, or cause economic damage, the minister said. As part of this, they said, all Dutch households should have emergency supplies on hand—such as sufficient food and a radio—as they did during the Cold War.

Cash call

Dutch banks are also poised to warn clients that they should have enough cash at home to deal with a major internet outage.

Military expert Frans Osinga told the AD that there is no reason to be afraid now. “But we must become aware of the changing geopolitical situation,” he said. “To prevent a crisis, you have to get prepared.”

This is particularly the case now that American support for Europe will become more unlikely under Donald Trump, who has made it clear that China is his priority, he said.

(DutchNews)

SINT MAARTEN/THE NETHERLANDS – The government’s plans to cut the own risk element in healthcare to €165 from €385 will lead to a sharp rise in health insurance premiums, the Telegraaf reported on Thursday.

The paper says premiums will rise to around €200 a month, compared with around €160 as they will average next year. It bases the claim on research by government macro-economic think-tank CPB.

The CPB research suggests that demand for healthcare will rise when the own-risk element is cut because people will no longer have to pay the first €385 of their treatment. This in turn will push up costs.

Low income households will likely be compensated for the increase in premiums through health insurance benefits which cover the cost of the cheapest policies.

(DutchNews)

SINT MAARTEN/THE NETHERLANDS – Dutch banks are poised to recommend their clients always keep cash money hidden at home, because of the risk that payment systems may be disrupted because of mounting geopolitical tensions.

The Dutch central bank (DNB)said on Wednesday that the chance of a cyber attack on important infrastructure is increasing, particularly from Russia. If the digital payment system is disrupted, then people will no longer be able to pay for goods by bank card, or transfer money automatically.

The central bank does not suggest how much cash people should keep at home, but says it will come with more detailed recommendations about the best way to organise your finances if there is a problem with the payment systems in the New Year.

In Sweden households are recommended to keep enough cash for a week’s shopping at home, the Telegraaf said, which would be €167 for a two-person household.

Family spending institute Nibud says people should have enough cash for a couple of days, and to include petrol and other items in the total.

The insurance association VvV warns, however, that between €250 and €500 in cash is usually insured, but no more.

Last week the government said it planned to take more steps to ensure the country can withstand a major armed conflict or other crises, such as a pandemic or long-lasting collapse in essential services.

This will include telling all Dutch households to have emergency supplies on hand – such as sufficient food and a radio – as they did during the Cold War.

In fact, the use of cards to make payments outstripped cash in the Netherlands in 2017 and just 20% of payments in the Netherlands are now made with notes and coins.

(DutchNews)

SINT MAARTEN/THE NETHERLANDS – At least 14 children were hospitalised this year as a result of using vapes and pediatricians suspect many more children are experiencing health problems, RTL Nieuws reported on Wednesday.

Since November 1, the Dutch association of pediatricians has been calling on family doctors to report cases of children who become ill after vaping.

Most of the children who ended up needing hospital care were seriously ill. A 16-year-old recently suffered bleeding on the lungs and a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old had to be admitted to intensive care.

Others in the group had airway obstructions, a collapsed lung, and a serious deterioration of lung function. Following extensive tests, vaping was the only possible cause of the symptoms, doctors said.

A 14-year-old girl said she would vape every five minutes and would wake up during the night and vape. A 17-year-old said he would take a hit 1,000 times a day. The pediatricians said no one type of vape was causing the damage and that health problems vary. It is often not clear why one child falls gravely ill while another doesn’t, they said.

 It is clear, however, that some vapes popular with teenagers are packed with toxic metals, cancer-causing chemicals and a much higher amount of nicotine than legally allowed, the broadcaster found earlier.

RTL asked 10 schools across the country to send them vapes they had confiscated from pupils and had them analysed.

Tests by a specialised lab in Liverpool found that eight in 20 vapes contained too much nicotine while seven out of 20 vapes contained formaldehyde. Lead was found in three out of 20 vapes while several of the vapes contained nickel, acetone, iron and other compounds, all of which are toxic and contribute to lung disease. All of the vapes were found to contain more than the legal amount of liquid.

Pediatric lung doctor Marije van den Beukel, who with five fellow pulmonologists monitors the reports, said they were “looking at the tip of the iceberg”.

“All of the 14 cases were serious enough for family doctors to say “we have to do something with this”, she said. But, she said, many more cases go without reporting.

Addiction

“When talking to colleagues at conferences or the hospital I frequently hear stories about children who don’t sleep because of a nicotine addiction, or children who feel sick, cough a lot or suddenly develop asthma. These cases don’t show up in the figures but we know they are there,” Van den Beukel said.

By monitoring the cases, the pediatricians hope to gain more insights into the effects of vaping on children’s health. “We don’t have that information yet because vaping is new. By collecting the data we hope to help family doctors who are confronted with a sick child, for instance by advising on medication,” she said.

Van den Breukel also hopes the seriousness of the facts will serve as a wake-up call. “We want to show that this is what is happening to children in the Netherlands, with all the stress and grief for the child and the family that could have been prevented. It makes you frustrated and angry, not with the children, but with the tobacco industry and the people who have allowed this to happen.”

(DutchNews)