A nice review in the TLS: “The Invention of Amsterdam…. captures Coates’s infectious enthusiasm for his adopted home… The author… is an effortlessly charming guide… and has an excellent eye for the fetching fact” https://t.co/enwj2VWYKW

“a vivid stream of observations, anecdotes and storytelling… Coates is a warm and witty guide, and it is easy to feel you are out walking with him, caught up in conversation”

A nice review of my Amsterdam book from @DutchNewsNL “Coates joins a Keti Koti parade, smokes weed,visits synagogues and revisits the site of the Bijlmermeer plane crash…he is a warm and witty guide, and it is easy to feel you are out walking with him” https://t.co/HOQQGgxyYM

Thanks! Hope you enjoy your trip

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(Not going to monitor the replies but you can see more on the other site)

But you will not improve them by gutting public services, leaving the EU or trying to be a European Trump. This is a gem of a place where we’re lucky to live; let’s keep it that way!

I won’t tell you who to vote for. But don’t listen to those who rage about how the country has been ruined. It’s one of the most successful place in the world by almost every measure you can think. Is everything perfect? No! Could things improve? Yes!

And did I mention you’re allowed to have chocolate sprinkles for breakfast? You’re allowed to have chocolate sprinkles for breakfast. And in the evening, deep-fried bar snacks.

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Global studies consistently rank the healthcare system as one of the best in the world. Health outcomes are good. Life expectancy is good. Children are mostly doing great. Quality of life is high. It’s a great place to grow old. Most metrics are improving over time.

Relative to population, the Netherlands hosts nearly two-thirds fewer refugees than Germany does.

The number of asylum seekers spiked a couple of years ago but is in steep decline. CBS: “In the first quarter of 2025… first asylum applications were… 37 percent fewer than in the last quarter, and half the number in Q1 of 2024”.

The crime rate is low and falling. According to CBS: “between 2010 and 2018, registered crimes decreased by 35 percent, from 1.2 million to 800,000. Since then, the number of crimes has fluctuated slightly above 800k per year.” The murder rate is half that of France of Belgium

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Unemployment is pretty low (3.8%, about the same as Germany, compared to a euro average of 6.2%). Inflation has spiked slightly but is way down in the longer term: 3% now vs 17% in late 2022. Household expenses have fallen

The Netherlands is a remarkably wealthy place. GDP per capita is much higher than in Germany, UK and France. Growth is not good at the moment- Ukraine, Brexit, Covid, incompetent government have taken a toll, so we’re slower than Denmark -but better than Germany

A few facts I wish more Dutch voters knew:

Lots of election commentary over on the other site, if you’re interested!

A reminder that although I still post on X sometimes, I do much more over on the place where the sky is not green. Same username, much less inane spam. Check it out!

I’ve recently finished @bencoates1’s riveting book The Invention of Amsterdam and enjoyed it immensely. I’m pretty sure I’ll be dipping back into it again in future. Here’s my Goodreads review, also posted on https://t.co/xTvmMln0TZ https://t.co/osFZvEGC4e #memoirs #travelogue

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Thanks, Nik!

Chuffed to get a little shout-out from @RoryStewartUK on the all-conquering @RestIsPolitics podcast. Sneeze and you’ll miss it, but he says my Amsterdam book is “a lovely book” https://t.co/baJ410TXut