Dutch Law LEGAL PRACTICE FROM ANGRY WHITE MEN TO ENTREPRENEURS + WHICH INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS CAN HELP YOU IN THE NETHERLANDS? BURGGRAAF MEANS BUSINESS TOP M&A LAWYER AND ‘100 BILLION MAN’ ABOUT DUTCH BUSINESS, INTERNATIONALIZATION AND POLITICS THE DUTCH CONNECTION TAX HAVEN THE NETHERLANDS
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Street fight THE AMSTERDAM PC HOOFTSTRAAT VERSUS THE DENNEWEG IN THE HAGUE
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The Dutch MBA
ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN BUSINESS-EDUCATION
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Lobbying
WHICH POWER MEN AND WOMEN IN POLITICS SHOULD YOU KNOW
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Contents 4 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
Politics
Personal
THE SPLINTERING OF DUTCH POLITICS
New in the Netherlands
A comparison between populists in Dutch politics and the American Tea Party movement.
Personal Finance
News Dutch news The financial news
29
9
14
14 16
49
What you can do with your money. And what you should do! 50
What, where, when Culture and culinary. Where to go in May and June.
Q&A
International Living
JAN LOUIS BURGGRAAF
Dutch Style
Living and interior
The most renowned M&A lawyer in the Netherlands about his multi-billion track record.
9
Fashion and electronics
61 62
69
73
75 77
21 Cover Story THE DEVELOPMENT OF DUTCH LEGAL PRACTICE How large firms have changed as a consequence of the crisis.
37 Different Angle NEED HELP? Which lawyers and law firms can help when you’re involved in a legal dispute in the Netherlands.
42 Business THE DUTCH CONNECTION The Netherlands as a tax haven. How thousands of foreign post box firms settled in the Low Countries.
33
Arrivals & Departures What do you think? 5 Silly Questions Local Business Introducing Working in the Netherlands Investing Expert Investing Money Talk Business Talk Golf Cultural Q&A Cultural Short Culinary Q&A Culinary Short Living Interior Dutch Designers Fashion Electronics Electronics Review
9 10 15 17 18 47 50 51 51 52 59 62 64 65 66 69 73 75 77 78 79
Short the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 5
Dutch summer wines? Actually, they are becoming right for the summer because they are rather sour and watery. Chef ’s Table, page 64
Education
Top 10
Lifestyle
The Dutch MBA
Shake hands in The Hague
Street fight
In the wake of the global financial crisis, ‘ethics’ and ‘social responsibility’ are hot themes in MBA training, says editor Niala Maharaj. Dutch business schools are ahead of the game – and are attracting thousands of students from around the world. The schools take their cues from European, and especially Dutch, culture, which has always had a global approach to business. They emphasise multicultural management. In an era of economic and social turmoil, they say, decisions have to be based on an understanding of complex realities. The schools therefore aim to produce ‘complete leaders’ with a humanistic and holistic approach.
The lobby circuit in The Hague is possibly one of the least known parts of Dutch politics. Yet the care sector in the Netherlands alone consists of almost six thousand active lobbyists and almost 300 lobby clubs. Nevertheless, the wheeling and dealing in The Hague is fairly tame, especially compared to the billion-dollar business in Washington or Brussels: lobbying does not take place over a six course dinner in an exclusive restaurant, but more likely over a simple cheese sandwich. Editor Patricia de Zoete summed up who to invite to this modest lunch.
You have PC Hooftstraat types and people who only stock up on their luxury items on the Haagse Dennenweg. There is a world of difference between the shopping public in Amsterdam, there are those who parade through the ‘PC’ in a brand-new sled, looking for the latest fashion, priceless jewels or exclusive shoes, and the pretentious people who do their shopping in a classic model on the Dennenweg. Editor Marco de Vries spoke to shopkeeper Frank Jansen from The Hague, who has opened five furniture stores on the Dennenweg, and also spoke to journalist Jort Kelder. The latter treated the Dutch television viewer to eighteen episodes over three seasons, covering the ups and downs in his favourite shopping area in Amsterdam. The fight between two luxury streets.
45 54 57
Editorial
Colofon
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 7
YOU’RE WELCOME
In this edition of The International Correspondent, we thoroughly discuss how Dutch arch-conservative law firms turned into modern dynamic businesses during the crisis. We give an overview of the most authoritative lawyers and law firms that represent foreign individuals and businesses in their dealing with Dutch law. The International Correspondent spoke with super lawyer Jan Louis Burggraaf. At the end of last year ‘the 100 billion man’ (a honorary title bestowed on the lawyer in the successful year 2007 when he concluded mergers and acquisitions to that amount) was proclaimed the best M&A lawyer in the Netherlands for the sixth time in seven years. Mr. Burggraaf has advised major businesses and banks including energy firm Nuon in its acquisition by Vattenfall, KLM in its merger with Air France, Swiss Air in its merger with Lufthansa, KPN in its public offer for Getronics, Randstad in its public offer for Vedior and ABN AMRO in its intended merger with Barclays and its acquisition by the consortium made up of RBS, Fortis and Santander. According to Mr. Burggraaf 2011 will again be the year of the mergers in the Netherlands. Burggraaf will talk about politics, staying ahead as a competitive economy and the changes in the legal profession. Furthermore: The Dutch fiscal climate has made the Netherlands into a tax haven for foreign businesses. Thousands of so-called postbox firms are registered in the Netherlands to avoid high taxes. The International Correspondent explains how trillions of Euros are legally channelled through the Netherlands every year. The International Correspondent has been set up to provide the growing international community in the Netherlands with high-quality advice about living and working in the Netherlands, as well as the backgrounds of Dutch politics, the financial world, lifestyle, the job market, education and innovation. Dutch news in an understandable international perspective. The target is to increase the contact between internationals and ‘locals’ in the Netherlands and to offer an insight into all aspects of the Netherlands. I hope to be able to inform, interest and amuse you from this first issue, and for a long time to come.
Floris Müller,
founder and editor-in-chief of The International Correspondent
DEDICATED TO Eva Mariette Müller EDITION May/June 2011 Edition 1 Volume 1 PUBLICATION FREQUENCY once every two months PUBLISHER Correspondent Media MANAGING DIRECTOR Floris Müller EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Floris Müller floris.muller@theinternationalcorrespondent.nl EDITORS Rob Broere, Martin Van Geest, Emily Gordts, Jeroen Jansen, David Lemereis, Mark Maathuis, Niala Maharaj, Dennis Roelofsen, Marco de Vries, Patricia de Zoete GUEST EDITORS Thomas Dieben, Rick Scholten, Emiel de Sevren Jacquet inbox@theinternationalcorrespondent.nl WEB DEVELOPMENT Sketches From Heaven WEB EDITOR Guido Van Rooy guido.vanrooy@theinternationalcorrespondent.nl COPY EDITOR Elycio Talen TRANSLATION Elycio Talen DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION POP www.popadores.com PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Beze SPECIAL THANKS TO Robin Bargmann, Wendy van Bavel, Jolijn Besemer, Alvie Bhailal, Maarten van de Biggelaar, Rob van Bracht, Pam Braun, Beer Brinkers, Maurits Van den Bosch, Remco Buurman, Willem Elzenga, Jeroen van Evert, Ramon Groen, Eduard Haaxma, Durk Hattink, Natascha Heijstek, Michiel Hilders, Marjolein Hof, Christiaan Huijg, Lex Kloosterman, Alfred Müller, Frank Müller, Laurens Müller, Mariette Müller, Peter de Muralt, Ben Pauw, Roel Prins, Lilian Van der Steen, Patrick Smolders, Paul Stoppelman, Tom Tielrooij, Friso Uriot, Andrew van der Ven SALES sales@correspondentmedia.nl MARKETING marketing@correspondentmedia.nl ACCOUNTANT IUS Statutory Audits PRINT Westdeutsche Verlags- und Druckerei GmbH, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany DISTRIBUTION Van Gelderen/ Van Gelderen Inflight The International Correspondent is published via partners in the international partnership programme to international employees, customers and relations. In addition, the magazine will be going into general sale, offered by book stores in the Netherlands. The International Correspondent will also be dispersed free of charge in limited edition throughout large international and cultural institutions. For more information about the partnership programme of The International Correspondent, contact partnerships@ correspondentmedia.nl The editors pay as much attention as possible to ensure the correctness of all information in this magazine. However, mistakes and incompletenesses are not entirely out of the question. Therefore, no rights can be derived from the texts in this edition. For questions or information, please contact the publisher. All rights reserved. Nothing from this edition may be multiplied, stored in an automated database, or made public, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. CORRESPONDENT MEDIA Visiting address: World Trade Center Amsterdam, H-Tower, Zuidplein 36-5, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Registration address: Albert Cuypstraat 128, 1072EA Amsterdam, The Netherlands Chamber of Commerce Nr. 34394092 Vat. No.: 148998203B01 Bank: Rabobank Amsterdam, 12.58.16.030 tel. (0031)(0)618131214
Expat Socializing:
InterNations Greets You with Open Arms Imagine you just arrived in a foreign country with the plan to stay for a while. You barely speak the language, let alone know your way around town. All you wish to do is kick back and talk to someone about your experiences so far, get some tips about interesting things to do in your new home; in short, make it exactly that: home. Ideally this someone has had or is having the same experience as you as then the sharing of anecdotes is more intimate. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could just snap your fingers and have a bevy of expats surround you to chit chat about the exasperating banking system, the strange way they bag (or don’t) your groceries, the incredibly stunning park in the center of town, etc.? Now you can! Well, perhaps not exactly by snapping your fingers, but by becoming a member of www.InterNations.org! InterNations’ slogan, “connecting global minds” perfectly hits the spot. It is an online social network with more than 275,000 active members present in over 250 Communities worldwide. It is InterNations’ goal to help expats adapt quickly to their new surroundings by offering forums on which to exchange information with other members of their Community, or organizing monthly events to meet with these other expats faceto-face. As InterNations is generally, but not exclusively,
geared towards professionals sent abroad for work, several partnerships have arisen. Both local and global partnerships, such as The International Correspondent, InterNations’ media partner in the Netherlands, have been helpful in spreading the InterNations name and concept, all the while benefiting members through special offers and the like.
The Netherlands are also a country with a recently large increase in expats. With 2,373 InterNations members in The Hague representing 103 nationalities, and 4,209 members in Amsterdam representing 123 different nationalities, it is quite the international mix. In fact, Amsterdam and The Hague are such successful Communities, that InterNations is planning on opening at least 5 more in the next few months! These will be in Rotterdam, Utrecht, Leiden, Maastricht, and Eindhoven. InterNations’ The Hague Ambassador, Roderick van Gelderen, has contributed significantly to the growth of The Hague’s InterNations Community over the past years. He organized multiple events in hotspots such as DesInDes, Millers, Taste the Wine Bar, the Hilton, etc., all the while ensuring that everyone felt perfectly at home and happy! “It’s so great to meet people with the same interest in other cultures as myself”, says one pleased member, “I don’t know how I would have met all my wonderful new friends here in The Hague had it not been for InterNations!” Equally, InterNations Amsterdam has been busy keeping The Hague under suspense, with its very chic locations in Holland’s capital. With events at the trendy Sake & Co., Sento Health Club and Spa, Hotel Nes, or their recent April Get-Together at the Polanentheatre, the Amsterdam Community is keeping it lively! “I have been a member of InterNations Amsterdam since it opened in 2007. It really is a fantastic way to meet other expats! I’ve even met some climbing enthusiasts here!” recounts another happy member. It is impressions like these that make the InterNations team happy to have reached their goal of bringing expats together and another reason why it continues to expand with new Communities sprouting up across the globe.
Arrivals & Departures the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 9
DEPARTING Matthew Powers (28) NATIONALITY American WORKS FOR A German development cooperation organisation LIVES IN Amsterdam DURATION OF STAY Four years SPEAKS DUTCH A little bit
ARRIVING Matsu Moto (63) NATIONALITY Japanese WORKS FOR Computer components manufacturer Nydec DESTINATION Rotterdam and Amsterdam DURATION OF STAY Four weeks SPEAKS DUTCH No
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING THE NETHERLANDS? I’m leaving for my work. My employer develops different infrastructural projects in Afghanistan; I currently spend longer periods there. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DUTCH? The quality of life in the Netherlands is high; rent is not high and products are affordable. In particular, the big cities are very accessible for foreigners. The Dutch are very approachable. It’s easy to make contact. WHAT ASPECTS OF THE NETHERLANDS WILL YOU BE MISSING?
WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE NETHERLANDS? To meet up with our marketing department in the Netherlands. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE NETHERLANDS? The country is small and the traffic is extremely chaotic. WHAT ASPECTS OF THE NETHERLANDS DO YOU CONSIDER POSITIVE The business life is well organized. All of the companies are located close to each other. WHAT DO YOU FIND THE MOST ANNOYING SO FAR? The prices for food are high. In addition, the public transport:
The ‘gezelligheid’; the Dutch know how to enjoy their time off work. WHAT DO YOU FIND THE MOST ANNOYING SO FAR? The Dutch are approachable, but only to a certain extent. As a foreigner, it isn’t easy to fit in and be accepted as part of their social groups. WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT HOME? The space. The Netherlands is jam-packed. There aren’t many nature areas to withdraw to for some peace and quiet. HAVE YOU BECOME ‘DUTCH? No, I don’t think so.
it is never clear whether a bus or train is also going to stop at your destination. WHAT ASPECTS OF THE NETHERLANDS WILL YOU BE MISSING WHEN YOU GET BACK HOME? The Dutch are very diplomatic, but also straightforward: that is an interesting combination. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DUTCH? Friendly and open. HOW DO YOU BEHAVE AROUND THE DUTCH? I approach them the same as I approach all foreigners. With great respect.
CommunityThe Japanese AMOUNT 7,000 people in the Netherlands WHERE THEY WORK Primarily with the 350 Japanese companies with a branch in the Netherlands. WHERE THEY LIVE In the Randstad, and, in particular, in Amsterdam and Amstelveen (over 3,500). JAPANESE SHOPS In addition to many Japanese restaurants, there are various Japanese shops in the Amsterdam region that sell traditional products. There is even a genuine Japanese hairdresser’s, Fuji Hair, in Amstelveen. JAPANESE CLUBS Kazaguruma is active in The Hague and
Rotterdam. The club organises a variety of events. Social and economic aspects in the Netherlands legislation that may influence day-to-day life are also discussed. The Japan Women’s Club (JWC) meets in the Japanese Cultural Centre (GO-centre) in Amstelveen. NOTABLE A club especially for older Japanese residing in the Netherlands: the Nichiran Silvernet Foundation. More information about the Japanese community in the Netherlands is available at www.nl.emb-japan.go.jp.
Personal 10 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
What do you think? MONARCHY MONARCHY
ICESAVE MONARCHY
PRIME MINISTER’S MOBILE NUMBER
After confrontations with the royal family about ‘overly personal passages’ in Queen Beatrix’s Christmas speech and quarrels with the formation of the current cabinet, the populist politician Geert Wilders (PVV) says he wants to withdraw all political competences of the crown.
In a referendum in April, the Icelandic population rejected the agreement that Iceland, the Netherlands and England had reached on the repayment of billions that the Netherlands and Great Britain had lent to the Scandinavian island after the collapse of the Icesave savings bank. Finance minister Jan Kees de Jager says that ‘the time of negotiation has passed’ and will force Iceland to repay their debt with the use of judicial means if necessary.
In a meeting with entrepreneurs in April, Prime Minister Rutte mentioned that his government would better serve entrepreneurs. ‘You should have called me,’ he reacted sharply when one of the managers present said he wanted a better cooperation with the government, and proceeded to give the entrepreneur his phone number. Minister of economic affairs, Maxime Verhagen, says she wants to look after the interests of Dutch businesses abroad in particular.
WILL THE NETHERLANDS LOSE A POWERFUL ASSOCIATION THROUGH THIS IN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY AND AT STATE VISITS TO OTHER COUNTRIES? I do not believe that a queen who goes abroad on missions for the Dutch business world will get more done than a president. A chosen Head of State comes to power through his experience in negotiations and his ability to represent the country. Hu Chen (Country of origin: China) In some countries, members of royal families are more valued than chosen leaders. In negotiations, it’s not only about economic interest, but also about tradition and background. Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim Rafeeq (Qatar) It doesn’t matter whether you are royal or democratically chosen, as long as you can negotiate and understand the diplomatic rules. It seems to me that Beatrix is a good established Head of State, and that the Netherlands often benefits from her economic negotiations. Jack Conally (U.S.)
IS THE NETHERLANDS GOING TOO FAR IN THIS? A deal is a deal. If the Netherlands has lent money to Iceland, that means they have to pay it back. Wanpak Tao (China) Iceland will not begin their repayments straight away; they will not start for another few years, after they have recovered. The argument of many Icelanders that this will stunt the growth of the economy is therefore irrelevant. Philip Jacobs (Great-Britain) The Icelandic people were not involved in the ‘free’ entrepreneurship of the top bankers at Icesave, but they are being punished for this through enormous budget cuts that will come as a consequence of the repayments. Shouldn’t Europe start a fund where banks can take out ‘insurance’ in order to compensate for economic missteps? With so many state-owned banks, initiating this should not pose any problems. Alfred Hermann (Germany)
SEND YOUR THOUGHTS ON DUTCH NEWS TO whatithink@theinternationalcorrespondent.nl AND REACT ON DEVELOPING STORIES ON theinternationalcorrespondent.nl
IS THIS ACTIVE ROLE OF THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT A FAVOURABLE DEVELOPMENT? Haven’t the Americans been doing this for decades? I don’t want to go so far as to maintain that all recent wars have been waged purely out economic necessity, but the U.S. certainly uses her political diplomacy to support American businesses abroad. Pierre Beaumont (France) Such a foreign economic policy often turns into protectionism at home. And the Netherlands would not benefit from that. Oliver Cardle (U.S.) Absolutely. In Belgium, we have been without a government for a very long time now. This weakens the negotiating position in the economy, abroad as well as at home. GM withdrew from our country entirely not so long ago. That would not have happened, had the government focused more strongly on the preservation of the car industry. Geert Donkers (Belgium)
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the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 13
PHOTOGRAPHY Roger Cremers / Hollandse Hoogte
News
15 17 18 Silly Questions about THE DUTCH DEFENCE POLICY
Local Business
Introducing
NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS IN ROTTERDAM
ADVERTISING GURU PETER PAUL BLOMMERS
News 14 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
PHOTOGRAPHY RIA
INSHORT
DUTCH PEOPLE OPTIMISTIC AGAIN For the first time in three years optimism is growing in the Netherlands, says the Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (SCP). Every three months, the organisation gauges the state of mind of about a thousand people with questions like ‘do you think the Netherlands is moving in the right direction?’ Up to now, 25 percent or less answered that question with a yes. This time, 32 percent of the respondents did so. According to the SCP, the outcome of the last survey is EUROPEAN BLACKLIST FOR BAD DOCTORS INITIATED BY DUTCH MINISTER Public Health-minister Edith Schippers (VVD) got approval from her European colleagues for her proposal to create a blacklist of doctors who do a bad job. The minister states that it is important that people can find out themselves whether their practitioner has a good reputation or not. Especially in a time when more and more doctors and nurses go working abroad. In The Netherlands suspended practitioners are already on a blacklist, which will also register fines and reproaches in the near future. After talks with several representatives, Schippers concluded that the taboo on the subject has had its time and that Europe should be bungler-free.
due to appreciation of the present government. Many respondents expect the political parties VVD (liberals) and CDA (Christian-democrats) with tolerance support from the PVV (Freedom Party) to take on the safety problems and say that politicians are listening to them again. At the same time, many complain about polarisation and a movement to the political right wing. But even in this camp people are overall more optimistic about their country.
MEASURES TO STOP ILLEGAL DOWNLOADING IN THE MAKING Fred Teeven undertakes action to stop illegal downloading of music and films. The Dutch state secretary for Safety and Justice wants to criminalise downloading works from illegal sources, but has no plans to make the act itself punishable. The measures he will take must enable rightful claimants to take on websites that offer illegal content. They are not directed to consumers who upload and download limited material. Also, shutting consumers off from the internet, which happens in France and The United Kingdom, is out of the question. The details of Mr. Teevens measures will be made public in the near future. Like France, the UK, Belgium and Germany, the Netherlands struggles with the new reality in the copyright field.
CUTS IN EDUCATION SLOWED DOWN The Dutch parliament slows down cuts in the Education budget and postpones fines for students who do not complete their education in time. By doing so, it ignores the agreements the parties in office (VVD and CDA) made with tolerance support partner PVV. Lack of support from the community forced them to do this, minister Marja van Bijsterveldt and state secretary Halbe Zijlstra report. The planned cuts on education already faced resistance from the opposition and would possibly not get a chance if small Christian party SGP voted against them. That party is satisfied with the adjustments Van Bijsterveldt and Zijlstra made. Interventions in education for ‘vulnerable students’ proceed, but will start a year later and will be more gradually established.
News the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 15
SILLYQUESTIONS ABOUT DUTCH DEFENCE POLICY THE LIBYAN MISSION The Netherlands’ participation in the NAVO mission in Libya makes it clear that The Hague is in the process of changing its defence strategy. Defence Minister Hans Hillen strives to remove President Muammar Gaddafi, but he also has to stick to his budget: the Dutch military are facing significant cuts. The International Correspondent asked Professor Doctor Ko Colijn (60), head of the Security and Conflict Programme and manager of the Clingendael defence institute about how the Netherlands is changing its defence policy regarding the Libyan situation: “Minimal participation so that we are not reproached by our allies for doing nothing.” How do you explain the increased attention for the uprising in Libya? An extreme amount of violence is being used. Europeans especially are keen to ensure a quick power transfer. President Sarkozy leads the actions against the regime to prevent a large stream of refugees coming into Europe, not only from the country, but also from the region. It now appears that many North Africans are seeking asylum in Europe anyway. The Netherlands has no particular ties with Libya. The relationships are mainly focused on business. But the Netherlands are involved in the mission against Libya... Well yes, but you could say that we are joining in half-heartedly. We will patrol with minesweepers and planes above the sea in order to enforce the UN arms embargo and no-fly zone. The Netherlands’ participation in the bombardments of military targets in order to protect the Libyan population was limited. During the NAVO meeting in Berlin mid-April we were asked to participate in this.
Is there chance that mr. Gaddafi will ever have to justify himself in The Hague? The International Court of Justice in The Hague may have been a little bit hasty in sending the message that it wants to sentence the Libyan leader for crimes against humanity. Mr. Gaddafi will do everything in his power to prevent ending up behind bars and this message may prolong his fight. It is probable that diplomats are now working on a retreat to an African country, without an extradition order to The Hague.
PHOTOGRAPHY Luis Sinco / Polaris / Hollandse Hoogte
Why is the Netherlands only playing a limited role? The Netherlands often takes part in these kinds of missions; we are keen to be the best pupil of the NAVO class. Look at the mission in Kosovo in 1999. We were at the ready then, despite there being no UN resolution. But the Dutch defence policy is under pressure right now. Minister Hans Hillen has to make more than a billion Euros worth of savings in his department. It would therefore be unwise to get fully involved in an expensive mission. In addition, the cabinet has to take into account its coalition partner the PVV. The PVV is against large-scale military action. The Netherlands’ new strategy is one of minimal participation in military missions, but to put in enough resources so that you cannot be reproached by your allies for doing nothing.
Business News 16 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
7% 10% $40.500 BONUS BAD FOR BANK REPUTATION IN 2010 THE DUTCH EXPORT VOLUME HAS RISEN BY 7 PERCENT
THE EXPORT VALUE ROSE BY 10 PERCENT
WITH A GPD PER CAPITA OF 40,500 DOLLARS A YEAR, HOLLAND HOLDS THE 18TH POSITION IN THE CIA FACTBOOK RANKING
Jan Hommen, the chief executive of ING Groep NV, says he will voluntarily give up the €1.25 million bonus he had been awarded for 2010 and other managers will do the same. Hommen’s planned bonus, which was to add to a €1.35 million salary, conforms to revamped compensation guidelines, but news of the payout was greeted with public outrage and customers threatened a boycott. Hommen said ING underestimated the negative public reaction, adding he didn’t want to hurt the bank’s improving image.
NLvs.
However, a few days later he confessed that it no longer has the funds to start producing again. Saab is looking for new moneylenders.
PUBLIC DEBT In 2009, the Netherlands’ public debt exceeded the European standard – 60 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) - for the first time in ten years. The financial crisis had made its arrival. A year later, it reached the level of 64.6 percent. In the world ranking of 2010 the Netherlands finds itself at number 26. The public debts of neighbours Germany and Belgium amount to 78.8 (number 19) and 98.6 percent (number 10) respectively, while Japan tops the list with 225.8 percent of its GDP. Strikingly enough, Libya does best with only 3.3 percent. The United States are number 37 in the ranking. SENIOR EXECUTIVES’ SALARIES STILL SUFFER FROM CRISIS The salaries of Dutch senior executives have not yet reached the level they were at before the financial crisis, says minister of Finance mr. Jan Kees de Jager (CDA). In April, De Volkskrant newspaper revealed that 21 of the 25 AEX-listed companies saw their profit rise by 16 percent. However, mr. De Jager pointed out that they decreased by 20 percent in 2008 and 2009. In The Netherlands, there has been much discussion about top salaries and the so-called grabbing culture in the financial sector these past years.
SAAB IN TROUBLE AGAIN The production of Saab cars has halted again. The Swedish manufacturer, daughter of Dutch Spyker Cars, is encountering problems in the supply department. It is said that the situation is the result of unpaid bills, worth tens of millions of Euros. Negotiations with the respective suppliers have started. A spokesman of Saab says that the company is doing its very best to reach consensus. Executive Victor Muller of Spyker Cars said, in response to speculations about the financial position of Saab, that the company is not on the verge of collapsing.
BANK BONUSES HELD UP AGAINST THE LIGHT Standards the Dutch government sets for the remuneration policy of banks are getting stricter. Where only banks who received big injections of state capital were taken into account before, now bonuses of banks that get small amounts of state aid are also held up against the light. The trouble
with bonuses started at ING in March. When the board of directors of the bank was about to receive a bonus despite direct state aid, the government reacted furiously. However, ING followed the exact rules the government established when the state aid was paid out. A new target is car leasing company Leaseplan, that also has a banking license. Last month the company, that made use of loan guarantees in 2008, made public that its directors got a bonus. Parliamentary questions followed. To be continued.
NUMBER OF SHOPPING SUNDAYS UP TO THE MARK If the number of Shopping Sundays [note: in Holland, shops are usually closed on Sundays] is increased, 55 percent of the entrepreneurs want to keep the opening hours at the same level. That is the outcome of an investigation by CBW-Mitex amongst 800 entrepreneurs in the residential, fashion and sports branches. Ninety percent of the small and medium-sized enterprises, united in the entrepreneurs organisation MKB, says the actual permitted number of Shopping Sundays is up to the mark. CBWMitex, consumers’ union de Consumentenbond and MKB Nederland advocate local decision-making. The Dutch government is divided about the subject. The Christian-democrats propagate Sunday rest, whereas the Liberals plead that shopping means Sunday rest too.
55% OF THE ENTREPRENEURS WANT TO KEEP OPENING HOURS THE SAME
Business News the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 17
LOCALBUSINESS
Rotterdam The concrete from the reconstruction years, during which functional architecture and economic restructuring dominated downtown Rotterdam, is quickly being replaced by increasingly impressive offices, apartments and other architectural masterpieces: the insurance building De Delftse Poort, the head office of food giant Unilever and the modern group of buildings on the Wilhelmina Pier. These recent projects have put Manhattan at the river Maas on the map as an architectural breeding ground. Architects such as a Rem Koolhaas from the Office for Metropolitan Art (Oma), made a name for themselves internationally with their initial designs for Rotterdam. To keep this development going, growth is necessary. Over the past fifty years, that growth was generated mainly by the port. In the sixties, the port of Rotterdam became the largest in the world, thanks to the increasing transhipment and economic revival in the Dutch and German hinterland. The most important markets became the transhipment of oil and containers. International companies such as a Shell, ECT Container Terminals, Q8, Vopak and BP all grew at the port of Rotterdam. Remco Buurman (50) of the Rotterdam Investment Agency states: “The port is internationally known as modern, professional and customer-oriented.
For example, customs consider the needs of the entrepreneurs and speak the customer’s language. This sets an example for the rest of the world.” The port also brings a growing number of financial institutions to the city. Besides investment fund Robeco and insurer Nationale Nederlanden, the centre of Rotterdam is also the home of Bank of China, which serves Chinese shipping business in Europe from their base in the city, the German Allianz and the American insurance giant A-on. Right now, building is underway for the European China Center in the Rijnhaven. MEDICAL DELTA As well as the growing port and derivative industry, mr. Buurman mentions the medical and care sector as an up and coming market. “The Erasmus
PHOTOGRAPHY RIA
Over 300 million Chinese people will tune in to Rotterdam this summer: The immaculately white Erasmusbrug (Erasmus bridge) and shining buildings on the new horizon of the port town are the backdrop for the table tennis World Championships. The international event suits Rotterdam well. The city can rightfully call itself a metropolis. A metropolis with its own character. Medical Centre together with the Delft University of Technology and the Leiden University Medical Centre, form the socalled Medical Delta: a collaboration which carries out joint research and development into new medical technologies,” states mr. Buurman. Rotterdam especially excels in the area of imaging. As well as Medical developments, the innovation in the clean tech area in Rotterdam is stimulated, for instance in the area of water technology. At the start of 2010, the floating pavilion of the National Water centre was opened in the city. The expertise centre offers to increase knowledge of the use and treatment of water in the Netherlands and to transfer this knowledge to the rest of the world. Mr. Buurman: “Those developments should attract lots of new business,
researchers and students to the city.” The latter group has already found the city in large numbers. In the past few years the Alma Mater, and particularly the faculties of economy, law, management and medicine, has really emphasised its international character. English education is increasingly offered. The MBA educator Erasmus Business School has registered many highly educated foreigners. NETWORKING Rotterdam offers a growing number of catering establishments where business partners can hold informal discussions. In the city centre, and especially on the Wilhelmina Pier, there are a growing number of restaurants and bars. More important still for business are the many networking events that are organised in the city: “Rotterdam is a real networking city. Every evening, a business reception or meeting is organised somewhere in the city. The people of Rotterdam are businesslike and purposeful. This makes doing business at these kinds of events very easy.” The network event of mr. Buurman’s organisation is recommended for this. Last year, besides the mayor and aldermen, many local top managers were also present at the Red Carpet Dinner of the Rotterdam Investment Agency in the former SS Rotterdam cruise ship.
Business News 18 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
INTRODUCING On the 8th of June, many hundreds of advertising employees and communication experts sit side by side in the great hall of the Hollandse Manege in Amsterdam. The prestigious Esprix awards are being distributed for the thirtieth time. The man of the evening, besides all the ladies and gentlemen who will be going home with the coveted trophies, is jury chairman Peter Paul Blommers. The fate of the advertising world, along with that of the other jury members, lies in his hands for just a moment. The criteria for the best campaign made in the Netherlands have been made more rigorous in recent years: “Commercials these days are not only judged on their creativity, but especially on their commercial success.” The winners of the evening are those who are capable of effectively changing the behaviour of consumers. And by that we mean purchasing behaviour. Just like in other countries, the Dutch advertising industry has also suffered greatly from shrinking marketing budgets. Blommers: “Businesses who do still spend money on advertising want a guarantee that every penny they spend will actually lead to a growing volume of trade. “ Under his leadership the advertising bastion Ogilvy, established in the old Simplexbicycle factory behind the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium, has grown to be in the top 3 biggest advertising business in the Netherlands. Mr. Blommers has more than 200 creative, strategy and commercial employees at his disposition. Among his clients are computer manufacturer IBM, consulting firm Deloitte and media company MTV the Netherlands. However, competition with other advertising companies for these big brands has risen steeply. “Right now there are more marketers active in the Netherlands than there are brands.” He therefore believes that competition between these marketers will only become fiercer, especially because the number of brands active in the Netherlands has strongly decreased in the past years.
For example, soap manufacturer Unilever removed almost 1200 of the 1600 brands in its range. And he and his colleagues shouldn’t have high hopes for many new introductions: “Public companies give preference to up and coming economies, such as China, India and Brazil, where a lot of growth and therefore profit can be expected on the introduction of new brands.” Exemplary for this development is the renaming of China as the home market for the traditional Dutch electronics manufacturer Philips.
The Netherlands remains an enormously rich country where a high volume of trade can be found. The Dutch experiment and adapt new products faster than average, according to the Ogilvy-manager: “Look at the use of Twitter and other internet services. The Netherlands are the absolute number 1 when it comes to the use of these products per head of the population world-wide.”
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
The International Correspondent speaks with Dutch captains of industry and asks them about typical developments on the Dutch business market. In this edition: Peter Paul Blommers (48), jury chairman of the Esprix marketing prizes and manager of the Dutch branch of the international advertising business Ogilvy.
PETER PAUL BLOMMERS
Business News the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 19
BUSINESSCALENDAR JUNE PHOTOGRAPHY Orange Babies Foundation
25
Bobos for babies Since the première five years ago, the Orange Babies Gala has grown to the absolute ‘must-attend’ event within Dutch society circles. Local television celebrities, musicians and all others who consider themselves ‘Dutch celebrities’ fight for the limited number of seats for the popular benefit spectacle. The evening, where money is raised for the Orange Babies charity, offers a gala dinner and benefit auction and information about the Orange Babies projects in Africa. But above all it is an annual networking meeting and the opportunity to meet Dutch celebs in an informal setting. Among the regular guests who will be present in the Hotels van Oranje in Noordwijk aan Zee this year are fashion journalist Fiona Hering, sport commentator Humberto Tan, presenter
MAY
11-15
Art Amsterdam/ Affordable Art Fair
Art and affordable Two art fairs for modern and contemporary art in Amsterdam. Art Amsterdam (May 11 to 15) in the Rai exhibition building offers a glimpse of 133 galleries from Europe, North America and Asia. Photography, paintings, sculptures, video art, installations and drawings. For those who have less money to spend the Affordable Art Fair (12 to 15 May) in the Westergasfabriek offers an attractive alternative with prices up to approximately € 5,000. www.artamsterdam.nl www.affordableartfair.nl
MAY
Opera Days Rotterdam
20-29 Paradise lost and found At the annual opera days, world renowned soloists and new Dutch talent play side by side in downtown Rotterdam. Under the motto ‘the lost paradise’ visitors of the opera days are treated to international premières, festival productions and opera on location. Especially the more intimate lunch concerts offer a pleasant networking environment with local business partners. www.rotterdam.info
Natasja Froger and television personality Caroline Tensen. From the business world we will see Peter Paul Blommers (Ogilvy advertising company), Gijsbert Dezaire (ex vice president of Numico), Bernadette van Buchem (Director of the Consumer Authority) and Deloitte partner Anton Sandler. Television chef Herman den Blijker will serve the four course dinner for over three hundred guests. After dinner there will be a benefit auction, led by showbiz auctioneer Job Ubbens (Christie’s Amsterdam). Last year’s proceeds: more than four tons. Everything raised at the auction will go to the Orange Babies foundation, which works to prevent mother-child transmission of the HIV virus. The theme for the gala evening is disco, but the guests do not have to gear their wardrobe to this. Invitation only.
www.orangebabies.nl
MAY
Zuidas Run 2011
29 Business Sweat and Tears The Zuidas Run in Amsterdam is THE business running competition of the Netherlands. This year the organisation once again expects to see thousands of lawyers, bankers, civil servants and consultants at the starting line. Opportunities for training in the months before the event are available at the Olympic Stadium and in a special training camp near Amsterdam Zuid railway station. Participation costs € 20. www.zuidasrun.nl
JUNE
12-18
Unicef Open Tennis Tournament
Tennis between classics The Unicef Open Tennis tournament has grown to reach the absolute top of the world. This summer, tennis lovers and the national and international top players will gather en masse in the Autotron car museum in Rosmalen for six days of sporty violence. The prices for the 62,000 seats in the tennis stadium of Brabant vary from € 30 to € 50. A passepartout for the whole week costs € 200. www.unicefopen.nl
DYNAMIC BUSINESS CENTER Vibrant and dynamic, an international business and conference center, a community with more than 352 businesses and 37 nationalities. A multi-cultural center of knowledge and the top in the area of commerce. Based at the heart of the ďŹ nancial center of the Netherlands, only seven minutes from Amsterdam. World Trade Center Amsterdam brings businesses together and provides them with a range of services that help them succeed. Want to know more about available ofďŹ ce space? Contact us at +31 (0) 20 575 91 11 or email realestate@wtcamsterdam.com
WORLD TRADE CENTER | AMSTERDAM
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 21
Q&A BURGGRAAF MEANS BUSINESS By Floris Müller
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
Super lawyer Jan Louis Burggraaf (47) has earned the nickname ‘100 billion man’ for top deals in the national and international business world. Over a seven-year period, he has won the award for best M&A lawyer in the Netherlands six times. According to Burggraaf, the Netherlands is too hard on itself and the restoration of the economy is hindered by its self-imposed rules. “In Europe in general and particularly in the Netherlands, we are no longer accustomed to taking risks and accepting setbacks.”
Q&A 22 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, YOU SAID THAT 2011 WOULD BE THE YEAR OF TAKEOVERS IN THE NETHERLANDS. HAS THAT PREDICTION PROVED TO BE TRUE SO FAR? I said that there would be an increase in the number of mergers and takeovers. Private equity is back as an active player in the market. The number of transactions is increasing, as too are the percentages of deals that are leveraged. However, this is not yet comparable to the top years of 2005-2007. Dutch banks are still not willing to provide loans to bring private equity back to its former level. In addition, there is still a great deal of (geo)political uncertainty. What’s happening in the Middle East and what does this mean for energy prices? The relatively low stock market prices also represent a restraining factor; because of the watering down effect, payment in own shares holds no attraction. Own shares still do not qualify as good M&A currency.
AS A COUNTRY, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS QUESTION WHETHER YOUR ECONOMY IS NOT DISPROPORTIONATELY VULNERABLE.
AND YET YOU SEE GROWTH? Yes, many companies have emerged from the crisis reasonably unscathed and most of them have substantial funds readily available. Faith has also been restored in companies thanks to the consumer trust, among other things. Fortunately, the drop in demand we saw in 2008 has not continued. The par-ties have also become more realistic about the value of enterprises and it is easier to bridge the gap between the perception of the buyer and the seller. In conclusion: the scandals are now behind us and the board and supervisory directors are no longer afraid to support strategic movements. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE FACT THAT DUTCH BANKS ARE NOT AS QUICK TO PROVIDE FINANCING AS THEIR FOREIGN COMPETITORS? The Dutch and European governments have set strict requirements for Dutch banks for providing state loans and other supportive measures. This limits the scope. Moreover, Dutch banks have a smaller appetite for risk than their foreign counterparts. This latter category is ‘back to normal’. THE BANKING SECTOR IS SUBJECT TO DEBATE IN THE NETHERLANDS. IS THIS DEBATE HARMFUL? Yes. And more so if it is only debate and no action. The Netherlands would have to advocate the retaining of a strong banking sector built on a number of strong banks rooted in the Netherlands; this is necessary if we want to continue to play a role in the national and international financial playing field. A strong financial sector that operates internationally is essential for the rest of the business sector. We have to ask ourselves what role we see for a number of large banks and give them the opportunity to develop into global players, and, for example, in doing so also to develop exit strategy. If the government goes ahead and initiates all kinds of divisions and reductions in banks, these financial institutions will not only be easy prey for bidders from abroad, but they will also diminish their role as a mainstay for the rest of the Dutch business community. SUCH AN ACTIVE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL COMPANIES HAS A SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL RING TO IT COMING FROM THE LIPS OF A MAJOR M&A LAWYER. I already warned against the consequences of not implementing active contemporary industrial policy ten years ago. I’ve been witness to these consequences since 2005. More Dutch head offices have disappeared than new ones have been established, partly as a result of the acquisition of a large number of Dutch stock exchange securities by foreign enterprises. I’m not saying that we should categorically oppose takeovers, because we are too much of an open economy for that, but politicians, overseers and the business sector will have to set priorities regarding which
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 23
A LITTLE LESS HEDONISM AND A BIT MORE REALISM, PREFERABLY IN A PERPETUAL PERSPECTIVE, WOULD BENEFIT THE NETHERLANDS AS A SOCIETY sectors warrant attention and support. We would need to be a little less naive and more streetwise, like the rest of Europe. Otherwise, the sale of, for example, KLM, Numico, Essent, Nuon, and many more companies, would lead to an enormous reduction in head offices. BUT, AS AN M&A LAWYER, YOU HAVE ADVISED THESE COMPANIES DURING THE TAKEOVER. Yes. I’ve seen it coming. However, my personal conviction is not the deciding factor for my advice. As a legal professional, I have to offer the best possible advice; as a concerned citizen in this country, I can express my concerns. DO YOU REGRET THAT THESE COMPANIES HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER? No. But, as a country, you should always question whether your economy is not disproportionately vulnerable. If a lot of head offices disappear, you also lose high quality workers and a breeding ground for talent. Moreover, you also lose a funding source for areas such as the local cultural sector. Contrary to what some people think, it does make a difference whether a company has its head office in the Netherlands or only has a branch office. SO, MORE FOCUS. IN THE MEANTIME, YOU ARE ALSO ADVOCATING FEWER RULES WITHIN THE DUTCH BUSINESS SECTOR. Contemporary industrial politics does not automatically go hand-in-hand with additional rules. Just like any other government, the Dutch government exhibits the natural reflex of tackling each incident with more rules. In many cases, these rules do not do national companies any favours with respect to competitive position. What’s more, the government is often behind the times with these rules. The rules that are currently being made are designed to prevent the crisis of two years ago. The last war is always taken into account
while the new one always looks different. This also applies to the market. The market is no longer the same as it was two years ago. Companies and financial institutions are now actively trying to find ways to reinterpret the rules in a broad sense and in doing so to make money. This is called innovation and is inherent in a capitalist system. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the regulator should anticipate rather than react. YOU THEREFORE AGREE WITH PRIME MINISTER MARK RUTTE. HE DENOUNCES THE SO-CALLED ‘PREVENTIVE SOCIETY’ THAT HAS ARISEN. In Europe in general and particularly in the Netherlands, we are no longer accustomed to taking risks and accepting setbacks. I believe that this has to do with the fact that our society has become almost completely secular. Without a perpetual perspective it is difficult to see joy, but also suffering, concerns and setbacks in perspective. In this life, you have to make it in the here and now; suffering is an unwelcome interlude to the need for permanent happiness. Suffering and misfortune, however sad, are facts of life. A little less hedonism and a bit more realism, preferably in a perpetual perspective, would benefit the Netherlands as a society. The juridification of disasters in the Netherlands (it concerns the question about culpability and liability within the hour) is an example of this. LAST YEAR, YOU WERE AWARDED THE TITLE OF BEST M&A LAWYER IN THE NETHERLANDS FOR THE SIXTH TIME IN SEVEN YEARS. TO WHAT DO YOU OWE THIS HONOUR? Apart from knowledge of the law, practical experience in the world of mergers and acquisitions is extremely important. In addition, I believe that as an M&A lawyer you have to be good with figures, be empathetic, and fully committed to achieving the best results for your client. Incidentally,
being committed does not mean exercising slavish commitment. Honesty is the best policy, even if this can sometimes be confrontational for your own client. HAS YOUR WORK AS AN M&A LAWYER CHANGED IN RECENT YEARS? Without a doubt. My area of expertise has become more technical. Also, the margin of error that shareholders, regulators, the media and the public afford us is virtually zero. In the old days, it was much easier to solve problems ad hoc. These days, parties are quicker to take matters to court; parties are more inclined to take a stand. It is much more formal. This makes transactions much more demanding, more rigid and less attractive for the parties involved. YOU ALSO MENTION THE PUBLIC AS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN A TAKEOVER...! Yes, they play a key role. The public is the greater circle, within which the circle of shareholders falls. The social perception during a public bid – partly due to the reporting by the media – is often just as much a deciding factor for the outcome and perception of a merger or takeover as the result itself. As a lawyer, you also have to ensure that you maintain control during a complicated deal; to ensure that the process runs smoothly and that business is done in a humane manner and under fair terms. Through each and every step, you have to ask yourself how certain decisions are accepted internally and externally. Advice is always offered in a manner dependent on the context. YOU LEFT SCHOOL AT 15 YEARS OF AGE TO SIGN UP FOR THE MARINE CORPS... I was one of the youngest ever to sign up for the Marines. It has always appealed to me: that ultimate commitment without financial incentives. Not just physically, but mentally as well. In the end, I went back to school with a view to following the officertraining course, but incorporated many of the principles of the Corps into my pro-
Q&A 24 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
YOU ARE A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. DOES THAT PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR WORK AS A LAWYER? Yes. I don’t shy away from my responsibilities. And I am extremely loyal to clients. I am a lawyer for better and for worse. At the same time, I realise that this work is not the be all and end all. My belief sets everything in perspective. In some respects, you have to make use of your talents, but in other respects, the here and now is not what it is all about. THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE THE LAWYER WITH THE NICKNAME ‘100 BILLION MAN’... There is no biblical notion that says that you are not allowed to be involved in the practice of mergers and acquisitions. What counts is your ability to deal with it. I approach my work with great enthusiasm, but at the same time, I know that money is not my soul and salvation. MONEY ISN’T EVERYTHING. AS IS THE CASE WITH THE DEAL INVOLVING ABN AMRO. A TAKEOVER BY BARCLAYS BANK WAS TURNED DOWN AT THE TIME FOR THE HIGHER BID FROM A CONSORTIUM CONSISTING OF RBS, FORTIS AND SANTANDER. I was initially approached by the ABN AMRO Board of Directors for legal advice concerning the intended merger with Barclays. At ABN AMRO, everyone was convinced that a merger with Barclays was good for the bank and all its stakeholders (including the shareholders). A healthy future appeared to be ensured. The form and arrangement of the merger and the merger process matched. It was a well thought-out plan. But shortly after that, the consortium came with a higher hostile bid. In those plans, ABN AMRO was demerged. Anyone with an ounce of common sense realised that it was a fateful move. In the end, it was a disaster, because all parties involved, except perhaps the acquiring hedge funds and other shareholders, including the VEB, pulled out with their money and left ABN AMRO as a smouldering heap. This also led to the collapse of RBS and Fortis. An out-and-out mess with
a great deal of losers and only a few money driven winners. NEVERTHELESS, YOU STAYED ON AS THE LEGAL ADVISER FOR THE TAKEOVER BY THE CONSORTIUM. In the context of ABN AMRO, nothing could be done about the hostile takeover, except by DNB and the Dutch government. The latter did not intervene. A hostile bid occurs independently of the Board of Directors and the Supervisory Board. The consortium banks simply told the ABN AMRO shareholders directly: hand over your share to me and we’ll pay you this amount. Nobody from ABN AMRO interfered. EARLIER YOU SAID THAT ‘THE DESTRUCTIVE ROLE OF SHAREHOLDERS’ HAS TO CHANGE. CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS? Over the past ten years, we’ve created an explosive mix. This was done without reflection. It was a combination of a shift in the corporate governance body of thought, the increased weight of the shareholders’ value, the abolition of protection constructions, the internationalisation of the capital market and the leeway that regulators and arbitrators gave to shareholders. We have no control over the explosive mix, and, as with ABN AMRO, the result is disaster. We therefore have to revaluate. shareholders are not the only stakeholder, and certainly not always the most important. The survival of the partnership, customers, personnel and the public also plays a role. YOU SOUND QUITE POLITICAL. DON’T YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES IN THE HAGUE? If I am asked, I will accept my responsibility. The Hague is aware of my viewpoint on this issue. ARE YOU NOT TOO SCEPTICAL REGARDING POLITICS? IN THE ARTICLE SUBMITTED TO THE NRC NEWSPAPER, YOU ADVOCATED NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PVV! I aimed that at the supposed elite of Dutch politics, the regents. There are still too many politicians and other supposed intellectuals that are not willing to respond to the concerns and wishes of a less fortunate element of the population out of their own self-interest. Specifically, those who voted for Geert Wilders. I say: listen to that man; take his issues of discontentment and concerns seriously and perhaps even make them a part of your own electoral platform. It is pedantic, elitist and stupid to continually deny the concerns of that element of the population.
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
fession. I loathe pretentiousness. In my opinion, man often has a low pain threshold. Europeans, particularly the Dutch, have become too soft and lack a sense of competition. We are primarily very complacent. That presents a major risk: a lack of drive and an unwillingness to strive for perfection ultimately has a negative impact on the economy. The people in countries like India and China have wonderful work ethics. In the long run, they will surpass us in macro-economic terms.
Why should you know Jan Louis Burggraaf? Jan Louis Burggraaf (b. 1964) is a partner with Allen & Overy LLP. He specialises in mergers and acquisitions, including public bids. Most of the transactions he is involved in are cross-border. He was labelled one of the six most promising lawyers in the Netherlands in 2000. Jan Louis received the award for best M&A lawyer in the Netherlands in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and for dealmaker in 2008. Jan Louis graduated twenty years ago from the University of Utrecht in Dutch law (cum laude) and International law. He also studied at the London School of Economics, the University of Edinburgh and Harvard Law School. In 1998 and 1999, he worked at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York. He lectures regularly on mergers and acquisitions, including at the Free University of Amsterdam (VU) and Nyenrode Business University.
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the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 29
Dutch Politics THE DUTCH TEAPARTY HOW ALIKE ARE SARAH PALIN AND GEERT WILDERS?
PHOTOGRAPHY Olaf Krool / Hollandse Hoogte
By Mark Maathuis Angry, dissatisfied and unhappy with the direction their country is going. But also original, fresh and an out-of-the-box approach towards politics. The American phenomenon the Tea Party movement and Geert Wilders’ Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) share more than one would think at first sight. But are the two Transatlantic counterparts? Or is the Tea Party’s DNA too far removed from the PVV’s blueprint, as the party leader in the Dutch Senate Machiel de Graaf claims? For anyone visiting Holland or for those who’ve moved here in the recent past, they’ve been hard to miss: Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV). You would have seen his smiling face on every front page the day after the party became the third largest one in the Netherlands in 2010; you might have heard of mr. Wilders’ plans to ban the Koran, the Muslim Holy Book; or you may have read one of the many articles on theiinternational ...
Dutch Politics 30 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
... Op-Ed pages attacking or defending him. And whether you share his views or not, at this moment mr. Wilders and his PVV are forces to be reckoned with. More so, because the PVV’s political direction and its key issues seem to be part of a bigger picture. Just take a look at recent political developments in other European countries, such as Belgium, Norway or Denmark, where former (mostly) right wing, one-issue parties have evolved into respectable political entities. But not only in Europe will you hear the mantras ‘ cut back government spending,’ ‘ stop illegal immigration’ and ‘ zero tolerance on crime’. Ever since Tax Day 2009 – April 1, the date America must send in their filled out tax forms – there is the Tea Party movement. And based on their overlapping views and agendas, would it be fair to say that the PVV is the Dutch Tea Party? Before one can answer that, it’s necessary to take a closer look at where the party comes from. The PVV was founded in 2005 as the successor to the Group Wilders, mr. Wilders’ one-man party in the House of Representatives after he left the liberal VVD party. In 2006, the PVV won nine seats in the general elections. In the next general elections in 2010, it won 24 seats and became the third largest party and joined the consensus government with the Christian Democratic CDA and the VVD. Apart from their plans to close the borders to stop illegal immigrants entering the country, the PVV is Eurosceptic, has proposed the building of a Guantánamo Bay lookalike for young criminals and flirted with the idea of reintroducing the Dutch guilder. Over the years, mr. Wilders has become an international familiar face, thanks to his hard words on radical Muslims and his anti-Koran movie Fitna, whose premiere resulted in protesting Muslims on the doorsteps of Dutch embassies and consulates. After the murder of Theo van Gogh, the Dutch filmmaker who was killed by a Muslim extremist, he received so many death threats that until today he has 24/7 protection. BIGGER THAN THE TEA PARTY When asked whether he sees his party as a Dutch version of the Tea Party, Machiel de Graaf (42), the PVV leader in the Dutch Senate, is very firm. ‘No, we are bigger than that. The Tea Party movement is a loose accumulation of different groups. We are a fully-fledged political party and we are here to stay. There are some similarities though. The Boston Tea Party also profits from discontent and distrust against the established order. In Holland the List Pim Fortuyn (LPF) was a protest party, founded in only seven weeks, a recipe for disaster. After Fortuyn was killed,
the LPF fell apart. We took it slow and as a result have a steady party programme. We know exactly which way we want to go in every department. Next to anti-Islamisation we have other spearheads like better health care for the elderly, safety and cutting down cultural grants.’ Mr. De Graaf’s answer is understandable, but doesn’t cover everything. First, it’s obvious why he doesn’t want to be associated with the Tea Party movement: anyone who has paid any attention to the last American presidential elections probably wants to stay as far away as possible from anything that can be linked to the former Republican candidate for the vice-presidency, Sarah Palin. And let’s not forget one of the major Tea Party instigators, Glenn Beck, the FOX News host with his over the top TV show filled with conspiracy theories, accusations of ‘un-Americanism’ and flexible interpretation of facts. If you want to be taken seriously, it’s best to avoid these people. But whether he likes it or not, there are more similarities than just discontent and distrust, as De Graaf indicated. Though one cannot really speak of one Tea Party agenda, many of the politicians who are backed by the movement or regular speakers at Tea Party demonstrations share the PVV’s points of view on how to deal with criminals, illegal immigrants or Islamisation. For instance, when mr. Wilders visited Washington DC in 2009 to speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Committee symposium, he was also invited to Capitol Hill by the Republican senator Jon Kyl to show his film. How many people actually saw Fitna that day is unknown, but the fact that mr. Wilders – at the time just a member of parliament - was invited (or even known at the Hill) makes it clear that mr. Wilders’ words on Islamisation fell into good ground. ALLERGIC TO SPENDING Money is another shared obsession. Or, to be more precise, the waste of money. One of the first things mrs. Palin said she would do if she became vice-president was to put a stop to the practice of earmarks. These are legislative provisions that direct approved funds to be spent on specific projects or direct specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees. In her eyes, all earmarks are ‘pork barrel’ legislation. This derogatory term refers to the appropriation of government spending for localised projects, secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district. What mrs. Palin forgot to mention, is that what she calls ‘pork,’ can be a vital project for another politician, his or her constituents, county or state, thereby disregarding the fact that spending money on these projects also leads to commercial
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 31
WE TOOK IT SLOW AND AS A RESULT HAVE A STEADY PARTY PROGRAMME. WE KNOW EXACTLY WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO IN EVERY DEPARTMENT.
PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Keulen / Hollandse Hoogte
Machiel de Graaf
jobs and thriving businesses. When mr. De Graaf is talking about finance, he uses this same simplistic approach. ‘Calculations show that in the past ten years mass immigration has cost us € 7.2 billion a year. If we had given that money to our citizens, everyone would now live in a big house at a lake with three cars and two sailing boats.’ But if Holland would have closed its borders in 2001 to become an isolated island in Europe, we probably would never have earned the € 7.2 billion, Holland being the international trade-dependent country that it is. RIGHT AS WELL AS LEFT Despite these similarities, big differences between the two remain. The most obvious: where the PVV is a real political party with real influence, the Tea Party is just a movement. Or actually, a bunch of movements. In most American cities, one can find local Tea Parties whose ideas might overlap in general, but whose plans to execute them are miles apart and who lack overall direction. That’s another problem the PVV doesn’t have, thanks to its leader Wilders. As mr. De Graaf pointed out, mr. Wilders took it slow, warned by what happened to the LPF and its murdered leader. Also, he had been a politician for a longer time and already knew the wheeling and dealing of the political arena before the PVV. As long as the Tea Party doesn’t have one face all Tea Partiers can relate to and are willing to vote for, it’s never going to be more than a movement. But the most interesting difference is the fact that while most of the PVV’s ideas come from the right side of the political spectrum, some of their standpoints are typically left wing. For instance, Dutch workers should still be able to retire at 65; old age pensions are not to be touched; they’re in favour of strong cuts in the defence budget; the PVV introduced the idea for 500 animal cops and voted against Dutch interference in Libya. Not exactly the kind of ideas that would be applauded by Tea Party enthusiasts. In conclusion, saying the PVV is the Dutch Tea Party doesn’t hold. In fact, it might be the other way around. If the Tea Partiers can agree on one programme or candidate, or if one person stands up to take the organisational lead, they could grow out to be an American PVV instead of just collection of angry people. And if they need advice on how to make that transformation, they should keep a close watch on Geert Wilders and his PVV. READ THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH MACHIEL DE GRAAFF ON
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the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 33
Business
By Martin van Geest
What do Muammar al-Gadaffi, Tommy Hilfiger and Bono have in common? They all have their business headquarters in the Netherlands – on paper, at least. The reason is simple yet surprising: having an office here saves them millions of Euros in taxes. Whilst Dutch citizens are subject to relatively high tax rates, their country is a true tax haven for multinational corporations. So much so that more than twenty thousand foreign companies take advantage of the balmy Dutch tax climate. Every year, an estimated €12.3 billion pass through their Dutch offices, equivalent to 22 times the Dutch GDP. No wonder a thriving industry has grown up around this little-known phenomenon. Amsterdam is filled with trust offices, tax advisers and lawyers servicing these fiscal asylum seekers. It is safe to say that the Dutch financial sector owes part of its prominence to the tax breaks offered to businesses and celebrities from abroad.
Martin van Geest
PHOTOGRAPHY Goos van der Ven / Hollandse Hoogte
THE BIGGEST TAX HAVEN YOU’VE EVER HEARD OF: HOLLAND
Business 34 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
Ever since the invention of taxes, taxpayers have been searching for ways to evade paying them. In the 18th century, King William III imposed a window tax in England and Wales: his subjects paid taxes based on the number of windows in their house. The smartest among them simply bricked up some of their windows, as can still be seen in some houses from the period. In Amsterdam, tax inspectors measured the width of the houses to calculate the tax assessment. The solution was found quickly: wealthy merchants built the extremely narrow, high houses that line Amsterdam’s canals.
PHOTOGRAPHY Thomas Schlijper / Hollandse Hoogte
It wasn’t until the twentieth century that tax systems became too complex for such banal tricks to suffice. In came the savvy tax advisers, who made a profession out of finding lucrative loopholes.
IN THE NETHERLANDS, SOME ONE HUNDRED SPECIALISED TRUST OFFICES FACILITATE AN ESTIMATED TWENTY THOUSAND MAILBOX COMPANIES, MANY OF WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH WELLKNOWN MULTINATIONALS AND CONGLOMERATES.
DUTCH SANDWICH Shortly after the Second World War, Dutch notary Ton Smeets discovered the greatest loophole in the history of taxation: the Netherlands Antilles-route. Because of a lenient tax treaty between the Netherlands and its Caribbean dependencies, Dutch businesses were able to funnel their profits to a holding company on Curaçao or Aruba, whilst only paying five percent in taxes. In turn, the holding companies on the islands hardly paid any taxes on the incoming cash flow. The construction soon became known as the Dutch Sandwich. Tens of thousands of wealthy individuals and corporations from all over the world used it to reduce their effective tax rate to less than ten percent. Mick Jagger and German tennis player Steffi Graf were among the hundreds of artists and sportspeople who shielded their income from the local tax authorities using the Antilles-route. The Dutch Sandwich flourished until the early nineties, when the Dutch finance minister – under heavy pressure from foreign governments – rigorously revised the tax treaty with the Antilles. OBAMA However, the end of the Dutch Sandwich certainly did not mean the end of Holland’s fiscal lure. In 2009, President Barack Obama announced a crackdown on American companies and individuals using tax havens to evade U.S. taxes. In his speech, he mentioned notorious offshore jurisdictions such as the Bermuda and the Bahamas, but also the Netherlands. Mr. Obama specifically cited a building on the tiny island of Grand Cayman where more than 18,000 American companies are registered: ‘Either this is the biggest building in the world or it is the biggest tax scam in the world. I think the American people
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 35
know which it is.’ He could just as well have referred to the Netherlands; there are several office buildings in Amsterdam that house thousands of businesses. In the Netherlands, some one hundred specialised trust offices facilitate an estimated twenty thousand mailbox companies, many of which are associated with well-known multinationals and conglomerates. Nike, Sun Microsystems, IKEA, Boeing, Disney, Prada and the Rothschild banking family have all set up one or more Dutch entities to save on their tax bills. The Russian supermarket chain Pyaterochka is based in Amsterdam. Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gadaffi’s billion-dollar investment vehicle Oilinvest has its head office in Ridderkerk, just south of Rotterdam. JURISDICTION Why is Holland so popular among foreign corporations? There are the cut-and-dry advantages Dutch promotional agencies like to emphasise in their publications aimed at foreign investors. The Holland Financial Centre (HFC), a public-private organisation set up to improve Amsterdam’s image as a leading financial hub, sums them up on its website: ‘The central geographical position of the Netherlands, its excellent connectivity, a well-educated, multilingual workforce […] and a stable and reliable jurisdiction are some of the reasons why numerous European, American and Asian companies have established their offices in the Netherlands.’ But the HFC website also cites ‘a favourable tax climate’, which may be a surprise for anyone who lives here and regularly receives the dreaded blue envelopes sent out by the Dutch tax authority. Sure, The Netherlands’ corporate tax rate of 25 percent is reasonably low, but certainly not the lowest in the world. There are two other factors that explain why this country has become an international tax haven of choice. First, the Netherlands has bilateral tax treaties with more than a hundred countries, ranging from Kuwait to Australia. So for example, an Australian company doesn’t have to pay taxes in Australia on the profits that have already been taxed in the Netherlands. Second, Holland levies minimal – and in some cases zero – taxes on dividends and interest. Combined, this means that foreign companies can significantly slash their tax bill by funneling dividend and interest to their Dutch entities. Take note: there’s nothing illegal about this construction. Of course, the ‘stable and reliable jurisdiction’ the HFC boasts about also plays an important role. Countries like Liberia,
Vanuatu and Somalia also offer extremely low or even zero tax rates – Somalia doesn’t even have a tax authority – but who’d dare to move billions of assets to such a remote and disreputable location? The Netherlands are one of the world’s most stable democracies and invariably rank among the top ten nations with the lowest corruption levels. GIMME SHELTER Multinational corporations aren’t the only ones benefiting from the new-style Dutch Sandwich; many tax-shy celebrities have found their way to Amsterdam as well. Earnings derived from intellectual property such as royalties are taxed at rates close to zero in the Netherlands. This makes it extremely lucrative for artists to transfer a part of their assets, such as the copyright on songs, to a Dutch entity. Take U2’s lead singer Bono for instance. For years, the minstrel-slash-povertyfighter enjoyed the pleasant fiscal climate of his homeland: Ireland’s tax rate on royalties was zero percent. In 2006, the Irish government decided to set a cap on the tax-exempted income. Any artist who makes more than € 200,000 a year, would have to pay a moderate 12.5 percent. U2 swiftly moved its intellectual property to a new entity registered on Amsterdam’s Herengracht and continues to enjoy virtually tax-free royalty income up until today. And then there’s the Rolling Stones, arguably the most tax savvy band of all. According to legal documents that were made public a couple of years ago, three band members, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts, have channeled over 340 million Euros through their Dutch ‘headquarters’. All in all, they have paid just € 5.6 million in taxes on those earnings, or 1.5 percent. Makes you wonder what their song ‘Gimme shelter’ was really about.
TOP 8 FOREIGN INVESTORS The Netherlands consistently ranks among the top countries in terms of investments in foreign countries. For example, in 2010 The Netherlands were the largest foreign investor in Vietnam and the second largest investor in Brazil, only behind the United States. But the figures are misleading. The reason for Holland’s impressive ranking: a substantial proportion of all international investment is made through ‘Dutch’ entities that merely serve as a tax shelter. The real source of the money is obscured. The same is true for other offshore havens such as Hong Kong and Switzerland.
1 United States $ 3597 billion
2 France $ 1837 billion
3 United Kingdom $ 1705 billion
4 Germany $ 1484 billion
5 Netherlands $ 951 billion
6 Hong Kong $ 873 billion
7 Switzerland $ 815 billion
15 theof 20
multi-national companies based in the Netherlands pay little or no taxes
8 Japan $ 641 billion Stock of foreign investment in 2010, source: CIA Factbook
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the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 37
LAW & ORDER IN THE NETHERLANDS
Cover Story
By Emily Gordts You might suspect the Dutch legal world to be a dull territory, inhabited by a bunch of conceited white men. If so, you certainly have a point. When it comes to innovation, the European, non Anglo-Saxon law firms are slow learners; like its neighbours, the Netherlands lags a couple of years behind the United Kingdom and the United States. So thank goodness for the financial crisis. Now there’s a sentence you won’t come across often! But most lawyers – and clients – agree that the recession is helping to bring about a positive change in the legal profession. Clever clientele and fierce competition are turning young lawyers into true entrepreneurs.
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
And female lawyers are getting the hang of it, too. More than four out of ten lawyers are female, and they’re rising in number. Good news for us clients, as studies show that we expect our lawyer to pamper us, and not just with good legal advice. That’s considered a mere commodity these days. No, we want sincere attention and lots of sympathy. Which happens to be second nature to the goddesses of justice…The times they are a-changin’ at the Dutch Bar. Allow The International Correspondent to chalk out the latest trends for you.
Cover Story 38 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
THERE’S A GAP BETWEEN WHAT YOU LEARN IN LAW SCHOOL AND WHAT YOU ACTUALLY END UP DOING IN A MAJOR LAW FIRM LIKE OURS Jaap Bosman, Houthoff Buruma
For about nine months, three people slaved away at it. Full-time. They had to get the story lines and the 3-D visuals flawless, to coach the seven professional actors, and – most time-consuming of all – to fill a so-called ‘data room’ with a hundred documents that looked so authentic they could have been mistaken for the real deal. In May 2010, the champagne corks finally popped; their game was ready to take over the world. All this fuss over a game? Yes, but not just any game: The Game, produced by the third largest law firm in the Netherlands. Houthoff Buruma’s marketing people are quite convinced that this recruitment activity, teeming with video chat, CNN news flashes and film clips, is nothing short of revolutionary. The facts suggest they might be right. As soon as The Game was ready, the Dutch government insisted that this prime example of the Dutch knowledge-driven economy be presented at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai (it was). In October last year, it was nominated for a European Innovative Games Award in Frankfurt (it won). And last January, it had the potential to win a prestigious Hubbard One Excellence in Legal Marketing Award in Arizona (it did). LEGAL VS. PEOPLE SKILLS As a marketing stunt, Houthoff Buruma’s The Game certainly did the trick. Why, though, would a law firm spend big money on a game, cutting-edge as it might be? ‘A couple of years ago, we came to the realisation that we had reached the limits of what we could achieve using traditional recruitment methods’, says Head of Marketing Jaap Bosman. ‘Our goal is to attract the best future lawyers out there. But the best future lawyers aren’t necessarily the best law students. Good grades alone aren’t enough anymore.’ A serious simulation game, Mr Bosman figured, would be a great help to students and recruiters alike. Students, on the one hand, get to experience what being a real lawyer is like, working hard with their team members to convince a fictional Dutch family company to accept a takeover by a fictional Chinese state enterprise (in just one hour and a half). ‘There’s a gap between what you learn in law school,’ Mr Bosman explains, ‘and what you actually end up doing in a major law firm like ours. The Game fills this gap.’ On the other hand, The Game can only be played in the presence of the Houthoff Buruma recruiters, offering them the chance
to check out the twenty-five players each session brings in. How creative and solution-driven are they? Can they handle the stress that the game most certainly causes? And what about their people skills? Their legal skills are ignored because they don’t need any to bring the game to a favourable conclusion, really. MY LAWYER ME And that’s not surprising. Excellent legal knowledge no longer makes a lawyer stand out. It certainly does not justify their hourly rate of, say, € 400. For that kind of money – in these kinds of times – clients want more than the mere facts. ‘More than ever, they’re looking for fantastic service,’ Michiel van Straaten (45) says. ‘They want to get the feeling that they can count on their lawyer, and that he genuinely cares.’ Mr van Straaten, a former lawyer and general counsel, should know: KeyClients, his newly found company, is paid to find out why certain clients continue doing business with their law firm. Or, more interestingly, why they don’t. ‘Lawyers used to joke that their worst enemies were their very own clients. The financial crisis turned the tables; now they have to pamper their clients to make them stay. Loyalty and communicative skills have never been as important for both sides as they are now.’ The financial crisis obliged attorneys to change their tune. ‘The legal departments of businesses realised something crucial: that the price/quality ratio had gone awry,’ Roland Notermans (52), former Senior Vice-President at Philips and now consultant, says. ‘People don’t mind paying lots of money, as long as it’s worth it. Partners or senior associates do a good job, but lawyers still in training, the so-called interns, are often too expensive because they lack experience.’ A law firm that oozes arrogance risks being replaced by another. D.I.Y. Or, even worse for the Bar as a whole, they aren’t replaced by another law firm at all. Legal departments, feeling the pressure to reduce costs, increasingly decide not to pass on their legal issues to ‘proper’ law firms, Mr Notermans says. ‘They either solve the issue by consulting the legal departments of other companies, or they offer the task at hand to cheaper forces.’ Supply and demand during the recession caused an increase in the use of interim lawyers, legal assistants (‘paralegals’) and corporate housekeepers. ‘That’s understandable. An interim lawyer with ten years of experience is worth ten times
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 39
more than a lawyer who has just passed the bar. And the good news is: he’s a hell of a lot cheaper.’ It all comes down to saving money. Former lawyer Adriaan Krans (41), now Associate Partner at the major Dutch consulting firm Boer & Croon, conducted two surveys which showed that pricing arrangements are becoming all the more common. ‘In 2008, just over half of the businesses we looked at, working with one or more regular law firms, indicated that they made pricing arrangements with these firms. Hardly two years later, 84% report that they do. Need we say more?’ Another interesting find: 9 out of 10 of the surveyed businesses agreed to the proposition that the business community will more actively or consistently assess the price-quality ratio of law firms in the years ahead. ‘This illustrates that the buying power of in-house legal departments has grown,’ Mr Krans analyses. ‘Prices have to be transparent and fair, or else the businesses turn to other lawyers. There’s
more than enough choice anyway.’ NO ONE GETS FIRED FOR HIRING A BIG BRAND So what are the choices in the Netherlands? Looking at a list of ten largest law firms operating in the country, you’ll notice they’re mostly Dutch, the only exceptions being Allen & Overy, CMS and Clifford Chance. The international giants generally charge more to compensate for their greater overheads, so why would you choose them? ‘No one gets fired for hiring Clifford Chance,’ Hugo Reumkens (42) says. He’s a managing partner at the Dutch law firm Van Doorne, number 11 on the list of largest law firms (excluding Van Doorne’s numerous tax specialists and notaries). ‘What I mean is this: if your boss isn’t familiar with any of the Dutch brands and you don’t want any questioning looks, you hire a big brand. Which is fine, as long as your issues are mainstream.’ And how about the smaller offices, the niche players? They have actually capitalised on the financial crisis, Mr Reumkens
WHERE DO MOST LAWYERS OPERATE? 1.957 2.727
FEMALE
804 975
AMSTERDAM
THE HAGUE
683 981
ROTTERDAM
Source: Annual Report 2010 of The Netherlands Bar Association
633 778
UTRECHT
MALE
440 596
DEN BOSCH
believes. ‘I already explained that a brand is no longer a major advantage because of the costs. There’s something else going on: as pitches gain importance, the firm’s image no longer plays a key role. Brands no longer mean everything.’ Christ’l Dullaert (53), founder of Le Tableau, an independent agency which links freelance and temporary lawyers to businesses, agrees. She published a book last year about trends in the legal profession, and one of those trends is the growing popularity of niche players and solo practitioners. ‘They’re leaner and meaner than the large, unwieldy law firms, which often need longer to adapt to the times.’ THE TOP DOGS OF THE FUTURE Mrs Dullaert adds that niche players are often more innovative than lawyers on the payroll of huge firms: ‘It’s hardly accidental that most niche law firms are made up of young partners and associates who cleared out of the big firms. They felt that their former firms were not quick enough to innovate. They wanted to be more present on the Internet, for instance, but their greying bosses didn’t think much of social media. So they left, taking along their urge to innovate.’ Mr van Straaten from KeyClients thinks these young pioneers might very well be ‘the top dogs of the future’. Top dogs that don’t necessarily resemble one another; diversity is the key word of the coming decade. And when it comes to diversity, the Anglo-Saxon firms are one step ahead of most other law firms in the Netherlands, as Els Unger (52), co-founder of Unger Hielkema Lawyers, knows. ‘When a group of partners has to decide whether or not to make someone a partner, a psychological trick is played on them – they pick the candidate who resembles them most. In practice, they’ll pick a man, as most of the partners making the decisions are male. Anglo-Saxon firms became aware of this a couple of years prior to the Dutch, and were quicker to make arrangements to counter this unintentional impediment.’ In 2007, Mrs Unger – who was President of the Dutch Bar Association from 2005 till 2007 and chaired its Diversity Commission until last year – made 26 law firms sign a diversification treaty. In doing so, these firms promised to encourage diversity, both in terms of gender and ethnic background. ‘Unfortunately, the gender ratio in the top fields is still totally off,’ Mrs Unger says. Of course, exceptions make the rule. At the law firm where Mr Reumkens works for, for instance, one in two partners, senior associates and staff mana-
Cover Story 40 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
gers is female. ‘But in general,’ Mrs Unger says, ‘the necessary cultural shift at the top hasn’t occurred yet.’ For lawyers with a different ethnic background, the situation is worse still. Even though this country is inhabited by a rapidly rising number of people from a foreign background (3.4 million as opposed to 13.2 million ‘natives’), there are surprisingly few lawyers with Turkish, Moroccan or Surinam roots, though they are the three largest ethnic groups in the Netherlands. ‘Only a few law firms are prepared for society’s ethnic diversification,’ says Axel Hagedorn (56), a lawyer born and bred in Germany and head of the International Desk at Van Diepen Van der Kroef Advocaten since 1997. ‘In time, that will become a problem.’
PRICES HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT AND FAIR, OR ELSE THE BUSINESSES TURN TO OTHER LAWYERS. THERE’S MORE THAN ENOUGH CHOICE ANYWAY.’ Adriaan Krans, Associate Partner at Boer & Croon
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
What an expat in the Netherlands needs to be aware of, for instance, is that its system of laws is based on “good faith”. ‘A Dutch lawyer is so used to this concept, that he might not realise how strange this sounds to a foreign ear,’ Mr Hagedorn explains. ‘For an expat, it’s much safer to hire a lawyer with some affinity to his or her country. A lawyer who can tell them that, say, it’s hardly possible to draw up an airtight contract in the Netherlands; the “good faith”-principle makes it easier to change its terms. That’s just one example, but there are many more. All I’m saying is: don’t underestimate how legal practice is influenced by cultural differences.’
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Different Angle 42 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
In need of legal assistance? Finding a good lawyer in your own country isn’t easy. So if you’re looking for one in a strange country where you don’t speak the language, where you’re deprived of your own network and unfamiliar with local laws, your task could be next to impossible. By Mark Maathuis
M&A One of the law firms that had a very good year was DLA Piper. In fact, partner and corporate lawyer Barbara van Hussen was crowned as dealmaker of the year after she oversaw 15 deals. The most wellknown deal she helped to construct was the sale of the social network site Hyves to the Telegraaf Media Groep. She was also consulted for the KPN’s takeover of ISRApunt and Yes Telecom and the takeover of Communication Distribution Group and Triade Holding by Tech Data. Besides that, she also had a baby this year. After receiving the Golden Hourglass, the trophy for being the dealmaker of the year, she said that she was able to do all that ‘because the DLA Piper approach works.’ But only mentioning her wouldn’t do justice to Henk Arnold Sijnja, who is a lawyer at Linklaters. He was responsible for last year’s biggest deal, the flotation of Aperam at Euronext Amsterdam, which came with a € 3.24 billion price ticket. Among Sijnja’s other signature transactions: Deutsche BP AG in relation to the formation of a European company into which various operating companies of BP in continental Europe were merged; Groupe Casino SA, in relation to the divestment of its majority interest in Super de Boer, the Dutch listed retailer that was sold to Jumbo for € 552 million; and in 2007 he helped out RBS Group plc, leader of a consortium of banks comprising, in addition to RBS, Fortis and Santander, in its successful € 71.1 billion public offer for ABN AMRO Bank. IT Since Holland has one of the highest densities of Internet connections, IT – and the legal circus around it – is a big deal. And if you run into any problems in that field, SOLV Advocaten is the law firm you want to call. Founded by Wanda van Kerkvoorden, a former computer science student turned legal IT super specialist, this Amsterdam firm focuses exclusively on technology, media and communications and is parti-
cularly good for Internet-related matters. SOLV’s Christiaan Alberdigk Thijm is the lawyer you want to turn to for copyright and privacy law matters relating to the internet and new media, according to the Legal500. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY With its groundbreaking TV production work (think Big Brother), Holland has had a long tradition in the fast changing and even faster moving media world. This has had positive effects on the development of legal specialists in that area. And one the places this is best demonstrated is the Amsterdam law firm Kennedy van der Laan. Founded in 1992 by Eberhard van der Laan, who is now the mayor of Amsterdam, and the American Marianne Kennedy, who left the firm to return to the US, the firm has grown over the years. Today with nearly 100 attorneys and civil law notaries, it is one of the top 10- independent law firms in the country. They’ve been involved in matters ranging from advising television production company Endemol on the Big Brother trade mark to advising Netherlands Vaccine Institute on its IP and contractual issues. Other clients include Apple, Yahoo! and the trendsetting blog GeenStijl. And whether you speak English, French, German or Polish, you’ll find a lawyer who can help you in your native language. Recommended among its staff are Alfred Meijboom, partner in both intellectual property and information technology law, and Otto Volgenant, who focuses on new media and e-commerce, as well as the freedom of speech and press, database law and copyright law. IMMIGRATION A well known complaint about lawyers is that many of them aren’t very emphatic. They’re specialists in the legal procedures, but sometimes they don’t seem to get how those processes are affecting their clients. So if you need more than just someone to help you fill out the immigration paper works, think ExpatLaw. This Amsterdam firm was founded by Christian Barth, a licensed US immigration attorney admitted to the Bar of the State of Pennsylvania and the United States Supreme Court. He first visited Holland in 1989, learned the language and became a resident in 2000. Barth is a legal advisor (‘jurist’ in Dutch) qualified
PHOTOGRAPHY Truus van Gog / Hollandse Hoogte
Luckily for you, we can offer some help. Whether you need a cunning criminal lawyer, an Intellectual Property (IP) specialist, an M&A power house or just someone to explain the Dutch immigration procedures in your own language.
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 43
to represent individuals and businesses in all Dutch immigration matters before the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service. And because he’s seen it all, he’s able to give you legal as well as practical and personal advice. CRIMINAL LAW He’s probably Holland’s most famous and well know criminal lawyer: Abraham Moszkowic. This flamboyant army of one, who has a long family tradition in the legal profession, made a name for himself over the years with some very interesting cases and clients. For instance, he defended Surinam’s president Desi Bouterse when he was still a military leader accused of smuggling illegal drugs; he was Robin van Persie’s lawyer when the Arsenal player was accused of rape; and at this moment he is assisting Geert Wilders, the Dutch politician accused of discrimination and hate speech against Muslims. But since Moszkowic’s schedule looks impressive thanks to that trial, you can also try Peter Plasman, the lawyer who defended the murderer of moviemaker Theo van Gogh. Another good option is Geert-Jan Knoops who mixes his international experience, passion and intellectual approach with the pit-bull mentality he picked up when he was in the Dutch Marine Corps.
THIS FLAMBOYANT ARMY OF ONE, WHO HAS A LONG FAMILY TRADITION IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION, MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF OVER THE YEARS WITH SOME VERY INTERESTING CASES AND CLIENTS
INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION Hiring a lawyer to go to court takes lots of time, money and energy. So you might want to try to settle your dispute outside the court room. The downside being that settling problems abroad yourself requires certain knowledge of local customs and culture. So what better way to deal with it all than by consulting a lawyer who’s been through it all himself? Shawn Conway has practiced for more than 20 years in the Netherlands following five years in the United States. He is admitted to the Bar in the United States (District of Columbia and Illinois) as well as the Netherlands (Rotterdam). After his legal career in the US, he joined Trenité Van Doorne (now Simmons & Simmons) in Rotterdam where he was a partner for 11 years. Conway is an international arbitrator and mediator. He represents and advises manufacturers, construction project owners, engineering firms, contractors, consultants and suppliers in the petrochemical, telecom, energy, heavy industry, manufacturing, consumer and industrial electronics and software industries. Due to his dual qualifications under U.S. and Dutch law, Conway is regularly engaged by large multinational and international companies with respect to their international transactions and disputes.
TOP 10 BIGGEST FIRMS 1 Nauta Dutilh 279 lawyers
2 De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek 258 lawyers
3 Houthoff Buruma 245 lawyers
4 Loyens & Loeff 235 lawyers
5 akd 189 lawyers
6 Allen & Overy 181 lawyers
7 Stibbe 150 lawyers
8 Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn 142 lawyers
9 CMS 140 lawyers
10 Clifford Chance 127 lawyers Source: De Stand van de Advocatuur 2011, Sdu Publishers
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 45
PHOTOGRAPHY Karel Tomei / Hollandse Hoogte
Education
DUTCH MBA INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY WITH A SOUND BOTTOM LINE By Niala Maharaj The multi-national company was invented 400 years ago in The Netherlands under the name Dutch East-India Trading Company, or VOC. This little country with few natural resources is the world’s fifth-largest exporter of goods. Its globally-oriented management tradition now draws thousands to ethics-focused leadership programmes.
Education 46 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
All business schools boast of the networks they offer graduates, but that’s not Nyenrode’s USP, says Mark Slaman, programme director of the Part Time MSc in management. Nyenrode’s focus is on entrepreneurial management. It was developed in 1947 by business for business. Captains of industry from major Dutch corporations - KLM, Shell, Unilever, Philips and Akzo - set up the institution after the Second World War to develop actionoriented, internationally-focused business leaders to rebuild the Dutch economy. Today, over 90% of Nyenrode’s international MBA students are from outside The Netherlands. That’s the trend in this country that is too small to think local. Holland was the first non-English-speaking country to offer university studies in English and the results are spectacular. 100% of Amsterdam Business School’s full-time MBA students are foreigners. Erasmus University’s Rotterdam School of Management has 100 countries represented in its student body. At TiasNimbas, rated number one in The Netherlands by the FT, foreigners make up 72% of the full-time International MBA population. ‘We are much more international in both student mix and business focus,’ says Erasmus’ Dean, George Yip, a former member of Harvard’s faculty, ‘and offer a uniquely European perspective on the world of business, specifically stakeholder issues and sustainability – areas US schools are only just waking up to.’
PHOTOGRAPHY Joost van den Broek / Hollandse Hoogte
Nyenrode Business University has cult status. Cross the moat into its 13th-century castle campus, the rumour goes, and you become a member of a secret society that opens doors for the rest of your life. The Financial Times ranked its Executive MBA programmes at number one in the world for career progress in 2009.
Heineken a Belgian. RenaultNissan has a CEO with Lebanese roots who was born in Brazil, holds a French passport and worked in the US for a long time.’ And the top Dutch universities go even further. As part of your training you go places, meet people, and discover for yourself the challenges of managing in other parts of the world. TiasNimbas’ students attend a course at Georgetown University in Washington and spend time in Brussels. Its International Executive MBA Programme was ranked first in the world for ‘international course
Such class diversity has tremendous benefits in this era of globalisation, say educational experts. European MBAs are better paid than US ones, according to The Economist magazine, although it has to be said that they tend to be older. ‘Intercultural competence, the capacity to be effective across cultural borders is becoming increasingly important as a core competence for international managers,’ explains Dr Prud’Homme van Reine, of Radboud University Nijmegen. ‘Multi-national companies are increasingly appointing top managers from other cultures than from where the businesses themselves have their roots. Sony has appointed an American CEO, Acer an Italian,
70%
foreign MBA students
Calculations after consulting 10 mayor Dutch MBA schools
experience’ for four consecutive years. Nyenrode’s programs include residencies in Asia, the UK and South Africa. You take courses at renowned institutions elsewhere, such as the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago and the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. Erasmus offers a joint degree with the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a global program in which students study on four continents. WE ARE DIFFERENT But the stress on global and multicultural experience is only part of what defines Dutch management training. It also adopts
companies alike are aligned in the request for a more humanistic and holistic approach in the curricula of business schools’. A Wall Street Journal report last year placed a part of the blame for reckless decisionmaking at the door of some US business schools, saying there is now a new emphasis on ethics and social responsibility.
WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY BASED ON EUROPEAN CULTURE AND ESPECIALLY DUTCH CULTURE Drs J. Hoogendoorn
a more critical analysis of business decisions. ‘We are different,’ states Drs J. Hoogendoorn, Director of the Part-time MScBA Programme at the Rotterdam school. ‘We have a different philosophy. It’s based on European culture and especially Dutch culture. We don’t believe in heroic leadership. We try to interpret major cases, for example the loss of independence of Dutch companies like ABN-AMRO, and see where the problems originated.’ The Rotterdam school also has faculty who adopt the American approach to business studies, he notes, so there is a creative tension between the different perspectives. ‘American businesses,’ his school’s dean, GeorgeYip, argues, ‘have traditionally focused much more on shareholder value and viewed it as the single most important element to maximise. The recent worldwide economic crisis has shown this to be a less-than-healthy way for business to operate.’ YOU LEAD IN THE FACE OF COMPLEXITY AND AMBIGUITY The crisis has indeed sparked deep soulsearching among business educators. According to the accreditation organisation, EFMD, the European Foundation for Management Development, ’schools and
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Charles Chen, director of executive MBA programs at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, told the WSJ that students in China are interested in issues like social responsibility and sustainability. ‘Although the economy has been in a boom, pollution is terrible, and people can see that if we don’t do anything about it, we will be hurt,’ he said. ‘If the corporations do not act responsibly, there’s no way the economy can keep on growing.’ Hence 7,000 Chinese students are now enrolled at Erasmus University’s Rotterdam School of Management. The Dutch approach is in demand. ‘Europe is quite far ahead of the US in terms of sustainability,’ Erasmus’ Dean, George Yip, explains. ‘In the Netherlands, we’re particularly well-placed to make the most of this shift in corporate thinking – the multi-stakeholder, multi-perspective and sustainability-based view of management and business.’ TiasNimbas’ Dean, Ramon O’Callaghan says his school’s curriculum is designed, ‘not just to provide you with a thorough understanding of business functions and strategy, but also to incorporate ethics and responsibility into your mindset, and to develop you as a complete leader.’ Their International Executive MBA Programme was ranked 5th best worldwide in 2008. ‘The world continues to experience unprecedented economic and societal turmoil,’ they tell prospective students. ‘You are entering a totally new, highly international and complex business world. As a global leader of tomorrow, you need to understand the business risks and opportunities of social, political, cultural and environmental trends. The challenges that these issues present are complex and there may be little agreement about the response that is required. You lead in the face of complexity and ambiguity.’
WORKING IN THE NETHERLANDS THE DUTCH LINKEDIN REVOLUTION – FINDING A NEW JOB ONLINE Emiel De Sevren Jacquet (34) is a headhunter and founder of the Amsterdambased recruitment firm Greenberg Nielsen. We recently placed a CFO at an international company based in Amsterdam. Even though the profile was very complex we managed to find him online. Traditionally this would be a process that would last several months, including multiple advertisements in finance magazines and newspapers. We found him because he had a good Linkedin profile, a trend we see more often. Although you expect CFOs to be reluctant to expose themselves on social media due to i.e. compliance rules or privacy reasons, a recent study has shown that almost 80% of Dutch CFOs are on Linkedin. However, a combination of nonhierarchical culture, strong international business links and high levels of internet activity make the Dutch more active on social media than others. The whole process of finding a new job has changed significantly since the use of job boards and social media has become widely accepted. An advantage for jobseekers and companies alike is the fact that procedures are more transparent and faster. No time is wasted with designing advertisement in the printed media and the sole dependents of the head-hunters’ network. Companies can find qualified staff cheaper and much faster since the good recruiters fill a position within eight weeks for a fee that is much lower than it was ten years ago. For the candidate it is much easier to respond to interesting vacancies without leaving their (office) chair and with a minimum of effort. It is also a great way to increase your visibility for future employees and recruiters.
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the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 49
PHOTOGRAPHY RIA
Personal Finance
50 51 52 Investment SUN WORSHIPPERS
Banking
Money Talk
PIN PAYMENTS
NEGOTIATING LIKE THE DUTCH
Personal Finance 50 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
INVESTING NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE IS OVER, SOLAR ENERGY BENEFITS The heat is on The nuclear power plant crisis in Japan might boost investments in solar stocks. According to Danish Saxobank solar stocks will rise with 25 to 30 percent in 2011. Reason number one: the production costs of solar cells have been greatly reduced and therefore the demand for solar panels exceeds the supply. Reason number two: with the power plant crisis in Japan, nuclear energy has lost its reputation as the saviour for this world’s power crunch. In the aftermath of the Japanese crisis, the stock prices of solar energy companies have already increased significantly. Various countries around the world, in Europe in particular, are rethinking their nuclear power strategies and traders are making a bold and dramatic shift towards renewable energy - solar being the number one pick. Does this mean that solar energy is finally about to break through? It’s still too early to say, but the signs are there. Especially in Germany, where the reluctance to develop nuclear energy is bigger than ever. The German government has already shut down seven nuclear power plants. As a result, the stocks of Germany’s leading solar panel company, Solarworld AG, rose with 32 percent. Add to that the rising costs of oil and gas, and one might say that solar energy is finally becoming a serious alternative to fossil
BIG CASH IN SMALL BUSINESS Nanotechnology The Twente Technology Fund is a seed fund for companies in nanotechnology, clean technology, new medical technology and ICT. Areas in technological science that have the future. Especially nanotechnology with its applications in electronics and energy production and clean technology, that benefits the environment. Martijn Enter (33), member of its management team, explains what sets the fund apart. “The Twente Technology Fund was founded last year July by the University of Twente and eight big private parties from the region of Twente. It is a seed and early stage fund. This means we invest sums of money from € 500.000 up to € 2 million in start-up companies as well as companies that have just started. They operate
fuels. In The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Scandinavia and Spain the demand for solar panels is booming, in part because of government grants. China is the world’s biggest investor in wind and solar energy, with $ 54.4 billion in 2010. Under Barack Obama solar energy has become more popular in the United States and after the Fukushima-disaster analysts predict that in 2020 at least 5 percent of Japanese energy will be generated by solar panels (against 0.3 percent in 2010). Solar energy funds will surely benefit. As well as renewable energy funds that also invest in windmills, water power plants and biomass energy. Apart from that, one can always invest in manufacturers of solar cells and panels (e.g. Canadian Solar in China and Q-Cells and Solarworld AG in Germany). Falling costs of solar energy ensures that the solar industry will continue to grow at a 25-30% growth rate in the next 5-10 years. All the more reason to invest in solar energy. In stocks that is, not in panels. Although buying some panels might reduce your energy bills as well.
+30% SOLAR STOCKS IN 2011
in the areas of nanotechnology, clean technology, new medical technology and ICT. What distinguishes the Twente Technology Fund from most other Dutch seed funds is that there is no state allowance involved. It is a private fund, not a public private one. In addition to that, its management team is multi-disciplinary and thinks along with the entrepreneurs. We are a profit-oriented fund, but at the same time want to be of added value to companies in the Twente region. There was a need for a fund like this in Twente. A fund that offers a connection with later stage venture capital. The number of participating investors is twelve, including the University of Twente. The starting capital was twelve million. At the moment the sum of invested money is € 15.3 million. And we hope to have 18 million in July. The Twente Technology Fund has invested in one company so far, a spin-off of The Centre for Telematics and Information Technology of the Universityof Twente. A second investment is completed this month. What strengthens our confidence in the proposition we have, is the factthat the fund has close cooperation with the University of Twente and the money was collected in an economically tough time.”
Personal Finance the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 51
MONEYTALK How to pay with plastic when you’re American American expats coming to Europe are facing a major credit card crisis. Well, let’s not exaggerate. As long as you don’t give your American credit card to a Dutch cashier, there is no problem. How to pay for your groceries then? Try cash. Or do as the Dutch do and pin! When it comes to credit card use, there are some differences between the United States and the Netherlands. First of all, don’t try to pay for your daily shop with your Visa, MasterCard or American Express. You might do so in the US, but in most European countries a credit card is not as commonly accepted. The Dutch seldom use credit cards for anything except large purchases. As long as you stick to the tourist circuit (hotels, car rentals, restaurants) there will be no problem, but for more common expenses like food and groceries, you will need cash or an EC/Maestro card (a European debit card).
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ELECTRONIC CASH EC means ‘electronic cash’. An EC/Maestro Card is not a credit card, but more like a US bank card. To obtain one in The Nether-
lands, you need to open a bank account. That requires not only a valid passport, proof of address and a residence permit, but also a BSN or tax number (SOFI-number) and - in some cases - proof of work. Ask for your BSN or SOFI number in the local tax office. With your new debit card comes a four-digit PIN code. To use this card for your daily shop or purchased goods, you will need to enter the pin code at the pay desk (the Dutch call this pinnen). To obtain cash, you will do the same at a bank’s cash machine (ATM). In both cases make sure that nobody sees your PIN Code. With this code and your card, anyone can take money from your bank account. CHIP-AND-PIN Most supermarkets may not accept credit cards, but many shops,
THE FIRST STEP IN HANDLING YOUR FINANCIALS IN THE NETHERLANDS A new beginning starts when the doors of the Customs at Schiphol are opened for you: your Dutch experience! As important as adjusting to your new workplace and feeling at home in your new house is opening a Dutch bank account.
Rick Scholten (50) is the Director International Clients Amsterdam at ABN AMRO. ABN AMRO has an office in The Hague and one in Amsterdam, which provides international clients/expats a “one point of contact” for all financial matters.
www.abnamro.com/internationalclients.
When an expat comes to the Netherlands, he is the centre of a spectrum of parties: the relocation company, the employer, the municipality, Immigration & Naturalisation Department, housing parties and last but not least the bank. One of the first bureaucratic requirements he must meet is that of a Burgerservicenummer (BSN), or Citizen Service number.Without this his employer cannot pay his wages, his taxes and arrange insurance. You can also open an bankaccount using a burgerservicenummer (personal public service number) and receive a debit card. This card is important: a credit
card is not always accepted everywhere for making payments, for example in Dutch supermarkets. The majority of newcomers are assisted in these bank affairs before they come to the Netherlands; multinationals often use re-locators who, besides finding a new residence and arranging the removal, also sort out formalities such as requesting a personal public service number and organising banking matters in consultation with the bank. However, clients can contact us directly to meet their needs, making it possible for them to open an account, arrange a debit card and consumer credit, so that they can take care of any immediate needs that require cash. Once this has been done, our client has met the most basic requirements for functioning in this country and is well on his/her way to having all the necessary paperwork completed.
Personal Finance 52 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
MONEYTALK hotels and restaurants do. If they don’t accept one you will need a so-called Chip-and-Pin card. Unlike American cards, which only have a magnetic strip, a European credit card is embedded with a microchip. Simply because it’s more secure. Paying with a Pinand-Chip card in most cases requires a four-digit PIN. Now, in many places your U.S. magnetic-strip card will still be accepted. Not by signing a receipt, but by entering the card’s Personal Identification Number. But when it comes to parking meters and garages, (self-serve) gas stations, railroad ticket machines and other automated payment points, you might need a Chip-and-Pin card. Also, not every shop employee knows how to use a U.S. credit card. So to avoid problems and awkward situations, you would be better off using a Chip-and-Pin card.
APPLY FOR A CREDIT CARD If you have an American Visa or MasterCard, you might still be able to use it. But many merchants don’t accept American Express and DiscoverCard is not used in Europe at all. Also, for online shopping and hotel reservations you often need a local credit card. All the more reason to apply for a European Chip-and-PIN card. The process of getting one is usually not too difficult. Just ask your Dutch bank what they need for your application. They will probably ask you for proof of a steady income. It definitely helps when you can guarantee a regular money transfer to your Dutch bank account. Now it is possible to get paid in Euros, or both in dollars and Euros. If you want to learn more about this topic, just read the next issue of The International Correspondent.
We appreciate a pleasant working climate and do not like to stand out
BUSINESSTALK
VINCENT PLATENKAMP
HOW DO THE DUTCH... NEGOTIATE People who work abroad know that their indigenous superiors, colleagues and customers do their best to understand them and are willing to explain things. Therefore, it is not necessary to know the business etiquette rules of a country when you arrive there. Knowing certain things, however, can be useful. VINCENT PLATENKAMP (61) IS A LECTURER IN CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AT THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR TOURISM AND TRAFFIC (NHTV) IN BREDA.
Rather than giving them a manual for etiquette, Platenkamp wants his students to develop a sense for differences and similarities between cultures. He confirms the image of the Dutch being individualistic and not very focused on hierarchy. “They can easily walk into a superior’s office and criticise them. In addition to that, the lecturer says, they know their way around uncertain situations and have a feminine mindset. “In masculine cultures, employees want to compete and be the best. In
the Netherlands, we appreciate a pleasant working climate and do not like to stand out.” Direct communication is the standard in the Netherlands. In other words: say what you want to say or do not speak at all. And in the recruitment sector the Dutch find it important to set job-applicants at ease by creating a relaxed atmosphere. “As opposed to the French,” the lecturer adds. “They are sharp-edged and fanatical from the beginning.” Foreigners should also know that business negotiations are accurate, transparent and to the point in the Netherlands. “In non-western countries, delegations are generally quite big and the one who speaks is not necessarily the one who makes decisions. Dutch companies only send a few representatives, and their roles and authorities are clear.”
YOU’VE GOT ENOUGH TO DISCOVER That’s why we offer financial services especially for expats. At ABN AMRO we are aware of the cultural and other differences you will encounter in the Netherlands. That’s why we’ll do everything to ensure that you won’t have to worry about your banking matters. Our International Client Service starts with quick and easy Internet Banking in English. But we communicate in more than 20 different languages. For advice on more complex financial issues, you can count on the expertise and assistance of a Preferred Banker. Would you like to discover more about our service? Please visit abnamro.com/internationalclients
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. (“ABN AMRO”) is not licensed to conduct banking business or sell insurance products in the United States under applicable federal and state laws. The offering, sale and/or distribution of this product or service can also be limited to other persons by the laws and regulations of other jurisdictions. Every (future) client is obliged to make inquiries after and comply with such restrictions. Neither this document, nor any copy there of may be sent to or taken into the United States or distributed in the United States or to a US Person.
Short Feature 54 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
10
PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW IN DUTCH POLITICS
Starting a business in The Netherlands? Want to invest in or take over a Dutch company, but having trouble to interpret the rules and regulations? It can be useful to have friends in high places to help you find your way in the jungle of Dutch politics. But who do you turn to? Below a list of influential people who can help you to get things done or prevented.
1BERNARD WIENTJES (67) Main position chairman of VNO-NCW (Confederation of Dutch Industry and Employers), vice-president of the SER (Social and Economic Council), co-chairman of the Joint Industrial Labour Council and vice-president of BUSINESSEUROPE (Confederation of European Industry and Employers Federations).
Education Dutch Law. Past director-owner at Wientjes Beheer (1967-1999), board of directors Villeroy & Boch (1999-2005).
Lobby affairs concerning labour laws, employers.
Wientjes was a successful businessman before he became chairman at employers’ federation VNO-NCW in 2005. He is a strong advocate for liberalising the law on termination and raising the age limit for the AOW (Dutch state pension) to 67 years. VNONCW did some successful lobbying last year when the new government was formed. They got their long standing wish: a bigger department of Economic Affairs with a powerful minister, Maxime Verhagen. Wientjes is a very good negotiator and regularly travels abroad on economic missions. He does not like to be in the headlights though. “Lobbying works better in the background. We only seek publicity if there is no other way,’’ he said when he was voted most influential Dutchman by newspaper de Volkskrant.
2 ALEXANDER RINNOOY KAN (61)
Main position president of the SER. Education Mathematics, Econometrics. Past professor and rector at the Erasmus University, chairman VNONCW (1991-1996), board of directors ING (1996-2006).
Lobby knowledge-driven economy, innovation.
Rinnooy Kan has been the head
3 NOUT WELLINK (67) of the SER since 2006. It is the most influential advisory body of the government. Rinnooy Kan is known as a very intelligent person, intellectually as well as socially. One of few people with a combined expertise on science, business and public administration. ”Lobbying is no rocket science,’’ he said as the head of the innovation platform KIA. ”We just call someone we know, or run into someone and point out our plans on knowledge economy. We keep reminding them and keep putting on the pressure.’’
Main position president of DNB (The Dutch Central Bank).
Education Dutch Law, Economics. Past several positions at the Ministry of Finance (1970-1982).
Lobby banking, finances.
Wellink has been part of the management of DNB since 1982 and became president
in 1997. DNB safeguards the financial stability in Holland and provides economic advice on national and international decisions. Wellink was heavily criticised during the economic crisis, for his role in the take-over of ABN Amro, the bankruptcy of DSB and the problems with Icesave. Though he survived this storm he will not serve another term and will leave DNB this year. The rumour is that he is aiming for the position of Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the ECB (European Central Bank), whose term ends in November.
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 55
4 JEROEN VAN DER VEER (63) Main position board of directors at Royal Dutch Shell, chairman of the board at ING and Philips. Education Mechanical Engineering, Economics. Past CEO Shell Chemicals USA (1995-1997), managing director Shell Group (1997-2000), president director Royal Shell and vice-chairman Shell Group (200-2004), CEO of petroleum corporation Royal Dutch Shell (2004-2009)
Lobby petrochemical industry, energy sector.
If you are doing business in the petrochemical industry you might want to contact Jeroen van der Veer, former CEO at Holland’s most powerful company Royal Dutch Shell. Van der Veer had been working for Shell all over the world since 1971. Retired in 2009, but remains on the board of directors. Advised NATO on new strategies, with Madeleine Albright. Known for his cool Dutch way of doing business. Was asked by the government to spearhead a team that advises about energy affairs.
5 ANNEMARIE JORRITSMA (60) Main position president of the VNG (Union of Dutch municipalities), mayor of Almere. Education Touristic schooling, French. Past member of the Lower House (1982-1994), minister of Transport and Waterworks (1994-1998), minister of Economic Affairs and vice-president (1998-2002).
Lobby local tax policy, land-use plans.
Influential politician for the li beral party VVD. Mayor of Al mere since 2003. Was running for mayor of Amsterdam last year, but lost to Eberhard van der Laan. As local authorities are allocated more and more responsibilities, the VNG’s in fluence is growing. Hosts her own business television show: Jorritsma blikt vooruit (Jorritsma looks ahead).
6 AGNES JONGERIUS (50) Main position chairwoman of the federation of trade unions FNV. Education Social Economic History. Past several positions at FNV (1987-2005). Lobby affairs concerning labour laws, employees, union.
Jongerius is probably the most powerful lady in Dutch lobbying and the first woman to lead FNV. Started out in the transport section of FNV and worked her way up to chairwoman in 2005. Has an extensive network in high places, is very open and approachable. Called the Rutte-government a ‘rich boys’ parliament’. Jongerius is a strong opponent of raising the AOW-age limit [retirement age], but lost that battle to her adversary in Dutch politics Bernard Wientjes of VNO-NCW.
7 BOELE STAAL (63)
8 HANS SMITS (60)
9 BERNARD (BEN) BOT (74)
Main position chairman of the NVB
Main position CEO of the Port of Rot-
Main position consultant at lobby-
Main position Parliamentary reporter
(Association of Dutch Banks).
terdam Authority.
agency Meines & Partners.
for RTL4.
Education Law. Past chief of police in Almere (1982-
Education Civil Engineering, Business Administration.
Education Law. Past ambassador in East-Berlin (1973-
Education Secondary school. Past public relations officer at CDA
1987), D’66-member of the Senate
Past secretary-general at Ministry of
1976) and Ankara (1986-1988), perma-
(1990-1994).
(1991-1998), provincial governor of
Transport, Public Works and Water
nent representative to the European
Lobby public opinion.
Utrecht (1998-2006).
Management (1989-1992), president-
Union (1992-2003), minister of Foreign
Lobby banking, finances.
director Schiphol (1992-1998),
Affairs (2003-2007).
CEO Rabobank (1999-2002).
Lobby all-round.
Boele Staal is chairman of the NVB since 2007. Also a member of VNO-NCW, the SER and De Nederlandsche Bank. The NVB consults with regulators, the Dutch government and many public organisations and interest groups.
PHOTOGRAPHY DNB, VNG, Shell, VNO NCW
Lobby Transport.
Hans Smits has an impressive expertise on transport, as a politician and a businessman. Knows everything about transporting people and goods. Took the challenge in 2005 to maintain and expand Rotterdam’s position as number 1 harbour in Europe. Is also a member of the board of directors of KLM.
Former minister of Foreign Affairs Ben Bot works for Meines & Partners, a company specialised in lobbying. They serve clients from all over the world. Ben Bot has an extensive network, with contacts in Brussels and the diplomatic circuit. A very charming and capable man and a strong negotiator.
10 FRITS WESTER (49)
Maybe odd to name a practicing journalist in this list, but Frits Wester knows everyone in political The Hague. This former spindoctor for the Christian Democratic Party CDA is the spider in the political web, knows what goes on behind the scenes and as a result has a lot of scoops. He is also one of the most active Twitterers, and has numerous followers. His influence on the public opinion is huge.
VS22 | VS26 | VS32
On show at:
Van Speijk Yachts M: +31(0)6.54.60.4986
www.van-speijk.com
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 57
STREETFIGHT P.C. HOOFTSTRAAT AMSTERDAM VS DENNEWEG THE HAGUE By Marco de Vries The Denneweg and the Frederikstraat are the best shoppingstreets of The Hague. The P.C. Hooftstraat is their glitzy equivalent in Amsterdam. But according to experts Frank Jansen (65) and Jort Kelder (47) they are a world apart. They couldn’t be more different. The ones situated in the shadow of Hotel des Indes in laidback The Hague are a bit demure, but offer shoppers a great variety of shops. The P.C. Hooftstraat is very outgoing, very nouveau riche, with lots of glitter and glamour and is nothing more than a big collection of flagship stores like you will find in capitals all around the world.
PHOTOGRAPHY Klaas Fopma / Hollandse Hoogte
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Hilz / Hollandse Hoogte
58 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
If you want to know something about the Denneweg (DW) and the Frederikstraat (FS), call the ever dynamic Frank ‘mister Denneweg’ Jansen, who, until a couple of years ago, had been the owner of the then very well known interior shop ‘the Pimpernel’ for 30 years. It might be a bit overstated but mr. Jansen more or less put these two streets on the map. Whenever he saw a possibility, he talked to the newspapers and made appearances on TV. Like Jort Kelder did with the P.C. Hooftstaat (PC). Not as a shop owner but as the much discussed editor of Quote magazine. Which was in mr. Kelder’s days unmistakably the most talked about business glossy in Holland. Mr. Kelder had an excellent nose for chitchat news that often made the headlines and brought it with the amusing snobbish attitude of an Etonian who never went to Eton. So when mr. Kelder smelled the opportunity to promote the PC, he grabbed it with both hands. After he left Quote, mr. Kelder presented the well-known TV programme ‘Bij ons in de PC’. Actually the PC and the Denneweg and Frederikstraat were very much alike in the old days! Both had lots of antique and art dealers, a butcher and a bakery and so on. So all the shops the well-to-do occupants of the neighbourhood needed for a ‘healthy’ lifestyle. But when real estate owners started to ask outrageous rents in the PC in the late eighties and early nineties, the original shops were more or less forced out. These then moved to different parts of Amsterdam. From then on the PC slowly started to become a glitzy shopping street. For shop owners who owned their
building, this meant that all of a sudden their property was worth a small fortune and quite a few of them sold it for serious amounts of money. ‘HAAGS BAKKIE’ That said it’s time to ask the experts what they have to say about their streets. Frank Jansen is quite clear about it. “Think of the Denneweg and the Frederikstraat as a wide range of independently owned shops where you still find the owners behind the counter.” Which according to mr. Jansen makes the big difference. Because of that, there is much more commitment to the customers, ho without exception will always be offered a generous cup of coffee and not the obligatory half empty semi hot ‘Haags bakkie’. Mr. Jansen says you cannot compare ‘his’ two streets with thirty years ago. In those days you would mainly find antique dealers there. In the last couple of years especially, more and more different types of shops have found their way to the DW and FD. Mr. Jansen: “But not the kind of designer shops like in the PC. We have seen rather of new independent shops ranging from a bookshop to a shop where they sell golf clubs and hockey sticks. Every time I walk through both streets I am impressed by the diversity. That’s the very charm of it.” “What is also impressive is the enormous choice in restaurants. I am convinced that these two streets are the only ones in Holland where you can do some decent shopping and also have a nice lunch and dinner in one and the same street. And parking your car is –except at the weekend- usually no pro-
blem at all. Try that in Amsterdam!” What mr. Jansen also likes about his streets is the clientele, which he typifies as affluent, well behaved and certainly not nouveau riche. “Think of ambassador’s wives and you know what I mean.” SPORTS CAR This brings us straight to the PC that generally is considered to be very nouveau riche. Which is very true, according to Jort Kelder. “But that also brings a smile to his face. The PC has indeed got this flashy feel of women dressed in black with too much gold on their wrists. But let’s be honest. On the DW they give you that pitying look when you drive through in your open sports car with wide tires (mr. Kelder drives a Maserati, a small one though ed.). It never surprises me. After all it is a street where shoppers proudly wear their Loden country coats and corduroys. Nothing wrong with it, but altogether a bit boring.” Mr. Kelder continues: “And we in the PC also like to spend our money. We like to ‘plop’ a couple of bottles of bubbles. Compare that to the DW. There they can spend a full afternoon with one cup of tea.” ‘Plopping’ bubbles precisely matches what Jansen said about the PC. Footballer’s wives spending thousands of Euros in half an hour. And real estate cowboys emptying their pockets to impress high heeled blonde women in designer outfits. Kelder thinks that in the end it all comes to down to the point: love it or hate it. “But then, mediocrity is boring and brings us nothing at all.”
5 FAVOURITES FRANK JANSEN (65) DENNEWEG
COEX LUPER M T N
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 59
1 Interior shop Ampère on the FS Just because it is good, and owned by my good friend Rogier.
BEST GOLF COURSES OF THE NORTH SEA COAST
2 For lunch you’ll always find me at Andermans Keuken on the FS. For coffee you have to go to Dandy on the DW.
3 Betjeman & Barton on the DW is hard to beat when it comes to teas and delicatessen.
4 Parfumerie Celeste on the FS has a very exclusive selection of perfumes from all over the world. Carefully ‘handpicked’ by mother and daughter Antoinette en Virginia Borsboom.
5 When he’s not around, Coen van Dijk of Pampa Bags on the DW is in Argentina looking for handmade bags, belts and exclusive goods made of leather.
5 FAVOURITES JORT KELDER (47) P.C. HOOFTSTRAAT
1 Without a doubt it is Oger Tailors that made the PC to what it is now. He was the accelerator. It is so un-Dutch, it’s good. As a man who likes his suits tight, I am a big fan because Oger made Italian tailoring widely known in Holland. Complimenti!
2 Café PC. Not a real coffee shop but more like an inn. Really lovely and attentive staff. The ideal spot to sip your coffee and spot weird types.
3 Shoe shop Shoebaloo. The interior of it is unique. The best shop to buy high heeled (13 cm+) shoes for your girlfriend.
4 Of course Hermès, although I realise it is not everyone’s cup of tea considering the price tags. But like all the other flagship stores, it’s a real gain for the PC.
5 After a couple of hours of shopping I enjoy a glass of wine at Momo and afterwards will have dinner at Indonesian restaurant Sama Sebo.
Back in the 13th century, Dutch aristocrats played a game with a stick and a leather ball. The objective was to put the ball in a certain target within the least number of strokes. Some say this is the origin of the golf game. Today, with more than 150 golf courses, there is a lot to choose from in The Netherlands. Expert Thomas Dieben advises where to go. He is the founder of Golfbreak.nl., a website dedicated to bringing the best golf packages to the independent Dutch golfer. NOORDWIJKSE GOLF CLUB NOORDWIJK Less than an hour from Amsterdam, and within half an hour from Schiphol, the Noordwijkse Golf Club is beautifully located within the dunes of the North Sea. International guests with a handicap of 24.5 or less are welcome on Monday till Friday. The green fee of € 120 can be considered high, but the spectacular views and impressive appointed holes make up for that. The Noordwijkse can definitely be considered the top links course of the Netherlands. The combination of the holes within the dunes and pine woods, makes it really attractive. Please be aware that the greens are in especially good shape during the summer. Randweg 25 2204 AL Noordwijk (0031)(0)252 - 37 37 63 info@noordwijksegolfclub.n
www.noordwijksegolfclub.nl KENNEMER GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB ZANDVOORT Another great links course in Holland is the Kennemer Golf Club. The fine 27 holes within the dunes in combination with the elegant club house make the Kennemer very special. The Kennemer was founded in 1910 and therefore has a long (tournament) history. International visitors with a valid club membership card and a handicap of 24 are allowed to play on the Kennemer (no more than three times per year). Kennemerweg 78 2042 XT Zandvoort (0031)(0)23 – 5718456 info@kennemergolf.nl
www.kennemergolf.nl KONINKLIJKE HAAGSCHE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB WASSENAAR This ‘Royal’ Golf course was founded in 1893 and is the oldest Golf Club in the Netherlands. Many tournaments have taken place at this challenging course. In the past this Club was only accessible for members, but nowadays visitors with a handicap of 24 or less are welcome on weekdays. The attractive 18 holes are located in the dunes of Wassenaar. Groot Haesebroekseweg 22 2243 EC Wassenaar (0031)(0)70 – 5179607
www.khgcc.nl
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the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 61
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
What Where When
SUMMER WINES Á LA JEAN RESTAURANT BEDDINGTON’S page 65
What Where When 62 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
JOOST VAN DEN BROEK MODERN AGE REMBRANDT Joost van den Broek is just as interested in Bill Clinton as he is in his favourite pub-keeper. When it comes to portrait photography, mr. Van den Broek (43) is the best there is. An exhibition of his work will be held during the Fotofestival Naarden 2011, Holland’s major photo festival. The International Correspondent spoke with mr. Van den Broek about his work and his painful encounter with some of the former U.S. president’s bodyguards. ‘Let’s Face It’ is the theme of this year’s edition of Fotofestival Naarden (May 21 - June 19). On different locations in the old town YOU ARE A NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER, AS WELL A PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER. WHAT DO YOU PREFER? “I prefer the combination. It’s impossible for me to shoot four perfect portraits in one day. After the second one my concentration will fade. I like to shoot one portrait in the morning and one in the afternoon, and to do a photo-reportage in between. It’s the variation that keeps me going. Both genres inspire me a lot.” YOUR PORTRAITS ARE FASCINATING. DO THEY REVEAL AN OBSESSION WITH FACES? “I’m not obsessed by faces. I just find them fascinating. I like watching faces, and not just as a photographer. There are so many different faces, and so many different characters, that I could just sit somewhere and stare for hours. I like to look people in the eyes. It’s one of the most important ways to communicate with people. That’s why I want my models to look into the lens. About 80 percent of my portraits are of people who look you in the eyes.” YOUR WORK IS VERY RECOGNISABLE. WHAT MAKES IT SO DISTINCTIVE? “It must be the way I work. I keep it sim-
of Naarden-Vesting, exhibitions will be held by several young and talented Dutch photographers. Their work is divided into four subthemes: Famous Heads, Just Me (self portraits), Second Skin (uniforms) and Photoshop Mania.Naarden’s central church ‘Grote Kerk’ is domain to the work of Joost van den Broek. This photographer of de Volkskrant and several Dutch magazines is well known for his classic portraits; photos of his favourite artists or people he finds interesting, like the junior sailors he shot at Sail 2010. With his portrait of sailor Kirill Lewerski, mr. Van den Broek won the second prize at the singles World Press Photo 2010.
ple, I don’t use much gear. There is no extra light, no flashing. I only use natural light, because that’s the best light there is. There are no assistants and just one camera. Furthermore, I take my portraits in one place. My compositions are classical, without extra accessories. And my photos are very direct, almost intimate. Very close to the model as well. People look into the lens, with open faces. You can see they are at ease. They feel at ease, because of the way I work. There is not much distraction, just me and an old Mamiya 6x6 camera. Most people find it sympathetic. And I just ask for 15 minutes of their time. IS IT TRUE THAT YOU ARE INSPIRED BY THE OLD MASTERS OF DUTCH PAINTING? “Yes. Some portraits from the golden age of painting are extremely detailed. It’s obvious that the painters from that era studied the faces of their models very well. Especially Rembrandt van Rijn. The expressions on the faces of his models are superb. Look at the muscles, cheekbones, wrinkles, glances; it’s all true to life. Rembrandt drew a lot of sketches of the same face, but with different expressions. Classical educated painters like him were the
masters of observation. They knew how to enlighten a face in a way that makes it comes to life. For me, this is a huge inspiration.” YOU ONLY USE NATURAL LIGHT. EVEN WHEN THERE IS NOT MUCH OF IT? “Yes. I like it pure. Authenticity is important to me. And if you know how to use natural light, you can make the most beautiful portraits. Even when there is not much light at all. I seldom shoot my portraits outside. I tend to use incidental light from a door or window. If there’s not much light, I take the risk. Sometimes it doesn’t work and I end up with blurred photos. Then I have to arrange another shoot. But hey, play it safe and your photos will be boring.” DO YOU PREFER CERTAIN FACES? ARE YOU GOING FOR CELEBRITIES? “No. I’ve done some, but in general, every face interests me. From the pub-keeper on the corner of my street to Nelson Mandela. When it comes to famous people, I tend to ask the ones who inspire me. There is this Dutch author, Remco Campert. I took his photo because I admire his work, and I will do it again. Last year I asked Tony Blair and Sivert Hoyem, the ex-leadsinger
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 63
IN THE PICTURE ANGRY Youthful extremism is the central theme of ANGRY - Young and Radical, a photo and film exhibition in the Dutch photo museum ‘Nederlands Fotomuseum’ in Rotterdam. This exhibition tries to find answers to questions like: ‘Who is radical and who decides whether people are radical?’ and ‘Is youthful extremism growing or is just a matter of image-forming?’ With work from famous artists, photographers and filmmakers, such as Rineke Dijkstra, Willie Doherty, Joel Sternfeld and Jules Spinatsch. And with video portraits of 12 (ex-)radicals. Until June 13. Nederlands Fotomuseum Wilhelminakade 332, Rotterdam www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl
ANTIPHOTOJOURNALISM of Norwegian rock band Madrugada and one my favourite singers. I really want to do a portrait of Nelson Mandela, but I heard he doesn’t do interviews anymore, let alone photo shoots. For the rest, all famous faces are by order of newspaper de Volkskrant or Vrij Nederland (a weekly newsmagazine, red.). From Rufus Wainwright to Bill Clinton.” IS EVERY MODEL WILLING TO COOPERATE? “I wish. With Clinton I wanted to shoot his portrait from short distance, like I always do. But when I approached his face with my camera, his bodyguards literally grabbed me by the shoulder and dragged me away. Clinton didn’t say a word. Luckily I took some normal shots before approaching him. I asked Gorbachev once if I could take his picture from close range, but he said no. With Madeleine Albright I had a completely different experience. She was very interested and gave me the full 15 minutes. I have some brilliant portraits of her.”
PHOTOGRAPHY Joost van den Broek
Publications 1999 De valstrik van de hoop, White illegals on hunger strike. 2003 Verguld Nederland, The Dutch community through the eyes of 8 photographers. 2009 Marokkaan in Nederland, Hollander in Marokko (‘Moroccan in Holland, Dutchman in Morocco’). 2010 Portret Joost van den Broek (Monograph ‘Portrait Joost van den Broek’).
Prizes 2006 Dutch Photojournalist of the year 2006 EU Journalist Award 2008 Nieuwspoort Photojournalist of the year 2000 - 2010 24 Prizes in different categories at Holland’s most prestigious camera awards ‘Zilveren Camera’ 2011 2nd prize singles World Press Photo 2010
Photojournalism is in the midst of a remarkable, and singularly unexpected, renaissance. New practices, strategies, viewpoints, techniques, and agents have radically transformed the institutions and the fundamental concepts of the field. Whilst it has become fashionable to lament the death of photojournalism, actual events suggest that something quite different is taking place. The group exhibition Anti-photojournalism in Foam Amsterdam charts these new developments in exciting ways. The exhibition juxtaposes reportages by established Magnum practitioners with material from autonomous artists and even amateurs. The works can be viewed in a myriad of ways, from slide shows to YouTube films, from music videos to satellite imagery and archival material. Until June 8. Foam Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam www.foam.org
What Where When 64 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
If you like jazz, then June is your month. There are jazz festivals almost everywhere. THE BREDA JAZZ FESTIVAL and JAZZ IN DUKETOWN (‘s-Hertogenbosch) are among the best. The first one (June 2-5) offers a broad variety of jazz music: classical jazz, dixieland, swing, jump ‘n jive, etc. Most concerts take place on outdoor stages in the historic city centre of Breda. Jazz in Duketown (June 10-13) is staged in the historic town of Den Bosch. The festival caters to every music lover, as it doesn’t commit itself to a certain kind of jazz. Among the performers in 2011 are Denise Han-
nah and Holland’s best known Jazz-DJ, DJ Maestro. www.bredajazzfestival.nl www.jazzinduketown.nl NORTH SEA JAZZ Few jazz festivals are as famous as the North Sea Jazz Festival (July 8-10). ‘World’s biggest jazz festival’ is held every second weekend of July in Rotterdam’s Ahoy venue. Over 34 years the festival has grown to 15 stages, 1200 artists and about 25,000 visitors a day. North Sea Jazz presents many music styles, from tra-
see it! LAUGH UNTIL YOU CRY Want to have a good laugh? Visit the Amsterdam Comedy Festival, at Friday May 27. This year, Holland’s funniest festival in ‘De Melkweg’ (Lijnbaansgracht 234a) focuses entirely on international, English speaking stand-up comedy from the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Comedians perform on 3 different stages. The audience can ‘zap’ between short and 30 minutes shows, all with one entrance ticket and without the need to reserve seats. www.amsterdamcomedyfestival.nl THE BEST OF DUTCH PAINTING The Rijksmuseum may be closed for renovation until 2013, but don’t let that stop you from visiting The Netherland’s most valued treasury chamber of impressive art. More than 400 masterpieces from the 17th century Golden Age of Dutch painting are
brought together in one wing of the museum, the ‘Philipsvleugel’. This collection of the best of the Rijksmuseum includes works from Johannes van Meer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals and Jan Steen. So if you want to see the ‘Nachtwacht’ (‘Night Watch’) and Vermeer’s ‘Keukenmeid’ (‘The Milkmaid’), the opportunity is still there. You’ll also find works from the Middle Ages and the 18th and 19th centuries, superb collections of silver and delftware ceramics, old doll’s houses and fantastic examples of Asian Art. www.rijksmuseum.nl
Johannes Lutma, salt cellar 1639
PINKPOP For some stunning rock, visit Pinkpop, yet another great festival from The Netherlands. It’s held annually at the Pentecost weekend, in the South of the country (Landgraaf). The rock festival is divided over 3 days, with 60.000 visitors watching performances on 3 stages every day. Rage Against The Machine, Metallica, Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, Iggy Pop, Lenny Kravitz, Red Hot Chili Peppers; they all performed at Pinkpop. The biggest acts in 2011 (June 11-13) are Coldplay,
Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters and Manic Street Preachers. www.pinkpop.nl PARKPOP Every last Sunday in June is traditionally reserved for Parkpop, one of the largest free pop festivals in Europe. Parkpop has a rich history. Several greats from the international pop scene performed in The Hague, including Robbie Williams, The Bangles, Kim Wilde, Kula Shaker and Sheryl Crowe. The festival has grown from one stage into a mega event with 3 stages, hundreds of thousands of visitors and a variety of activities in the centre of The Hague. Among the 2011 performers are Jamie Cullum and Go Back To The Zoo. How do you get a ticket? You don’t. Parkpop is entirely free. Place to be: Zuiderpark. Dogs are not allowed. www.parkpop.nl
MADE IN CHINA Exactly 100 years ago the first guest workers from China arrived in The Netherlands. And also in The Hague, hometown of this summers’ exhibition The Hague under the Sky - Temporary sculpture from China. From the 6th of June, the centre of The Hague is enlivened by sculptures and installations from famous Chinese artists. You can’t miss the open air exhibition at one of the cities prominent avenues, the Lange Voorhout, simply because most sculptures are gigantic. There is a Red Dinosaur (Sul Jianguo), a Giant Man (Yue Mijun) and a Copper Leg (Zhang Huan). You will find other sculptures - like The Slant Paradise, a selection of 10 pompous Delftware object - in the museum Beelden aan Zee, Atrium Stadhuis, Kloosterkerk and Pulchri Studio. www.denhaagsculptuur.nl
PHOTOGRAPHY Den Haag Sculptuur, Rijksmuseum
hear it!
ditional New Orleans jazz to swing, bebop, soul, fusion, funk, blues and drum ‘n bass. Performers at the 2011 edition are Paul Simon, Ahmad Jamal, Raphael Saadiq and Rumer. www.northseajazz.com
Cang Xin Hitting Things just with Qi, 2010, Iron, steel, wood, 3,7 x 10 x 4m 8 pieces /four crates 2000 kg
What Where When the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 65
Chef ’s Table: Summer wines á la Jean
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
IN SUMMER YOU LOOK FOR SOMETHING MORE LIKE OOH, GIVE ME ANOTHER GLASS OF THAT. SOMETHING EASIER TO DRINK.
Mrs. Beddington agreed to talk to us on a summerlike afternoon in early April. Cyclists on the canals were already riding their bikes in their t-shirts and the trees were fully covered with fresh green leaves. Better circumstances for interviewing her about summer wines were hardly possible. Of course it’s interesting to hear Mrs. Beddington’s opinion. “Dutch summer wines? Actually, they are becoming right for the summer because they are rather sour and watery. Yes, I know that’s a terrible thing to say. In general Dutch wines are getting much better. Actually, the prizewinning Weerkommen 2008 Rosé from the Achterhoek is a very good one. It’s not oxidised at all and the wine has got a good body to it. Only the price of wines like these is really ridiculous. But this is one I definitely would use in my restaurant. It goes well with my Asian inspired dishes. “I also like the Thorn Pinot Gris from Limburg. It tastes very fruity, with lots of citrus flavours. And according to one of my delivery guys there is also a very good one from Zeeland. Almost as good as the Pinot Gris from Wijnhoeve de Kleine Schorre. So far for the Dutch summer wines according to Jean. After all, there are many
The well-known Amsterdam-based but Englishborn chef Jean Beddington (62) likes her summer wines. Which according to her might have something to do with the fact that as a naughty ten year old she got slightly drunk on champagne during a garden party.
countries with a better reputation when it comes to wines. “There are also wines that you hardly find on the wine list of most restaurants. Poiré is one of those. We like to serve it as an aperitif. It’s made predominantly from pears and comes from Normandy. It’s fruity, dry and has a different taste compared with a Crément. “Instead of a Sancerre I like a good Menetou Salon; a white Loire wine with a crispy taste. It is slighty more interesting than Sancerre, I think. “Spain is also a rich hunting ground for white wines. To me Albariño Rías Baixas from Galicia is very dear. It has got flavours of pears and apricot. And absolutely brilliant with shellfish, prawns and lobster. Also try the Prieto Picudo rosé which comes from a region on the border of Galicia and Léon. Very, very fresh. And when you happen to be in Léon don’t forget to drink a bottle of Charco Las Ánimas rosé. It hasn’t got too much of a raspberry flavour. More like a good red fruit.“Pecorino is an Italian white wine that I also really like. It’s from the Abruzzo. The flavour is very interesting. Different from all the other ones I mentioned. More spicy I would say. “Yes, you’re right about the New Zealand
wines. They are very nice. Like the Sauvignon Blanc from the FortyFour Degrees wine estate in the Marlborough area. A very fruity, very light white wine with a very good body. “And of course we’d have to have Champagne in summer. I love to drink it! Maybe because I am English. Over here it still is very much a Christmas thing. But when I grew up my father opened up a bottle almost every week to celebrate this or that. To be honest, the first time I got drunk was on champagne during a garden party. My two favourite ones are Tattinger and Paul Roger. The Bruno Paillard on the wine list of our restaurant is not so toasty as the ones I just mentioned, but not too bad at all. “My sommelier just scribbled on a piece of paper that I shouldn’t forget to mention the Jacob’s Creek sparkling rosé which they sell at Albert Heijn. Cheap but good. Like summer wines should be!”
Beddington’s Utrechtsedwarsstraat 141 1017 WE Amsterdam (0031)(0)20-620 7393 www.beddington.nl
What Where When 66 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
beach chic
Drop an innocent sunbather on one of the black lounge beds at the terrace of the Republiek Bloemendaal beach club and he might think he’s somewhere in a trendy beach club on the Côte. Why? It’s because everything just looks right. Not only because of the well designed interior of this trendy beach club and the tasty lunches and dinners they serve. It’s the mix of all the beautiful young clientele from the rich neighbouring ‘banker belt’ of Bloemendaal and hip Amsterdam that creates its special sexy atmosphere on a cloudless summer day. Cocktails from € 8, lunch from € 7. 50, dinner from € 18.50, Zeeweg 94, Bloemendaal, (0031)(0)23-573 0730 www.republiekbloemendaal.nl
fair food
Are you into food? Then June is your month. On June 2-5 the fourth edition of ‘The Weekend of the Rolling Kitchens’ takes place at the Amsterdam Westergasfabriek. A wide range of mobile kitchens will transform this popular urban park into one big outdoor restaurant. Anything from a fresh pizza to sophisticated seafood will be cooked up and served in the open air. The entrance is free of charge and the kitchens are open from 13.00h to 22.00h. On June 23 - 26 the Taste of Amsterdam culinary festival (tickets from € 15) is in town. The Taste is a celebration of the finest cuisine the capital has to offer. You can mingle with the top chefs from 15 prestigious local restaurants as you sample their signature dishes. Or improve your culinary skills and discover a stunning selection of fine wines and specialty food, all in the beautiful surroundings of the Amstelpark along the banks of the Amstel river. www.rollendekeukens.nl en www.tasteofamsterdam.com
country escape
Keen to escape to the countryside for a long weekend? But your friend’s dear old cottage is already occupied. No worries. Go and have a look at www.erfgoedlogies.nl. Holland’s one and only up market B&B organisation. What makes it so special is that all the Erfgoed members live in a historic building in a -usuallymouthwatering location. Our favourite of the Erfgoed portfolio is The Inn on the Lake in Broek in Waterland, just 15 minutes from the city centre of Amsterdam. Despite being a clog’s throw from the hubbub of Amsterdam, Broek in Waterland provides a breathtakingly idyllic setting, with pastel-shaded gabled houses, a chocolate-box village square, and a small lake, tricked out with ice-skaters in winter and boats in summer. The Inn itself is a private guesthouse and could rest on its laurels, location, and rich history, but it doesn’t. The owners have created a modern pocket hotel: a bold use of monochrome in the bedrooms, freestanding baths, Ralph Lauren furnishings, Frette linen, Designer’s Guild furniture and rain head-toting showers. The hospitality is personal and heartfelt. Pamela and Karel van der Schaar make leaving the Inn deliciously difficult, with generous cooked breakfasts and restaurant-rivaling dinners from € 35 per head. Pamela has culinary pedigree. Her father was a restaurateur and her brother is on the Dutch Masterchef jury. But most importantly, Pamela and Karel have the kind of friendly manner that makes return visits pretty much compulsory. Doubles from € 170 per night including breakfast. www.erfgoedlogies.nl and (0031)(0)20-6715 460.
Welcome to the Stadspark Hotel & Fonteyn Thermen Stadspark Hotel in Bergen op Zoom. 87 luxurious rooms divided into City Parc Rooms, Splendid Rooms and Amazing Suites. A State of the Art 1500 m2 fully equipped Wellness Centre, a restaurant, bar and terrace are all available for your enjoyment. The new Splendid Rooms and Amazing Suites are beautiful spacious rooms with ‘heavenly’ beds (you’re certainly in for the best night’s sleep!), with 100% cotton linen, air conditioning, 32 inch 80 cm flat screen television with the latest entertainment system, the best coffee machine; the Nespresso ‘City’, etc etc. Only the very best is good enough for you! The City Parc Rooms are also with all possible comforts. Fonteyn Thermen, the 1500 m2 wellness centre, can be found under the very same roof and its diversity of products and services makes it the only one of its kind in the Netherlands. Its design includes baths filled with ‘Heil Wasser’, beauty treatment areas, a fitness centre, saunas, plunge baths, steam baths, an indoor and outdoor pool, various different showers, tranquillity and relaxation areas, solarium centre, massage chairs, etc. There are only 2 Wellness Centres in the Netherlands with the official Heil Wasser predicate and Fonteyn Thermen is one of these ...
You will find a well stocked homarium in the restaurant, with fresh lobster, shellfish and crustaceans. We react to what fresh products the market can offer us every day and serve up various specialities, seasonal products and fine wines. We can certainly also offer ‘light’ options! Bergen op Zoom’s town centre is a 10 minute walk from the hotel, the Binnenschelde with its beach is just 3 minutes away. Are you in need of finding the right balance between body and soul and would you like to enjoy yourself surrounded by luxury? Stadspark Hotel and Fonteyn Thermen, I wouldn’t mind living there! Conferences The Stadspark Hotel offers a range of possibilities for organizing meetings and seminars. 4 large rooms at the hotel itself, all of them offering plenty of daylight, airconditioning and audiovisual equipment. One of our meetingroom is with beautiful mountaincristals in the meetingtable and gives the room a special feeling with a lot of colours. Of course there is also the possibility of having a reception and/or dinner party for your group in one of our meeting rooms.
Stadspark Hotel and Fonteyn Thermen Gertrudisboulevard 200 4615 MA Bergen op Zoom T +31(0)164 260 202 http://www.stadsparkhotel.nl http://www.fonteynthermen.nl Email: info@stadsparkhotel.nl
IN IST L IA EC P S
ING N I A TR H TC DU
S ER K A PE S N IG E R FO R O SF E S UR O C
Language and culture courses, E-learning and language assessments Elycio (formerly Elsevier) Talen has been providing numerous organisations in various sectors of industry with professional language solutions for 45 years. We provide customised language, culture and writing courses in more than 25 major world languages and at all levels. You can also rely on us for E-learning, language and communication advice, and language assessments as an instrument for selection and recruitment. ELYCIO TALEN THE ADDRESS FOR ALL YOUR LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS Our language professionals are ready to help you select the most appropriate language solution for your organisation!
Locations: Amsterdam Arnhem Enschede Papendrecht Rijswijk Zeist
www.elyciotalen.nl info@elyciotalen.nl
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 69
International Living
PRIVACY AND PICTURE-PERFECT VIEWS JUST MINUTES FROM AMSTERDAM
International Living 70 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
The Zaan area, just north of Amsterdam, is arguably the most prototypically Dutch region of all. Flat, green pastures and tulip fields are dotted with windmills and colourful wooden farmhouses and dissected by numerous canals and ditches with traditional drawbridges. No wonder Claude Monet chose to live and paint here during the 1870s. It is also the birthplace of the Albert Heijn supermarket chain; its oldest shop can still be visited at the historic village of Zaanse Schans. Nowadays, Oostzaan is home to internationally acclaimed architect and interior designer Piet Boon, who created this unique mansion in a rural area just east of the village, only ten minutes from Amsterdam by car. The ten-room house was built in 2000, but looks like it has always been here, thanks to Boon’s timeless style combined with subtle touches of traditional ‘Zaanse’ architecture. Lacking unnecessary decorations, the attention is drawn to the innate beauty of the materials: high quality natural stone and several types of wood. Simplicity at its best. The robust kitchen is the undisputed heart of this home and perfect for entertaining. Its oversized fireplace lends a cosy atmosphere and the huge kitchen table in the middle invites guests to unwind with a glass of wine while their meal is prepared on the professional built-in Viking range. The living room has a more spacious feel, due to the high ceilings (up to six meters), windows with picture-perfect views of the surrounding countryside and masses of natural light. The adjacent veranda acts as a perfect extension of the living room; it
For more information and more pictures please visit www.dehaal57.nl Real Estate Agent: Van Overbeek Real Estate, (0031)(0)299 428 898
PHOTOGRAPHY M.Steenbeek-Smetsers /eyes-for-organizing.nl
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 71
features Location Oostzaan (less than 10 minutes from Amsterdam) Property type stately home Year built 2000 Lot size 11,000 m² Volume 2,000 m³ Living space 526 m2 Number of rooms 10 Location open location, waterfront, detached, open view
Garden landscaped, various patios and open fireplaces
Asking price € 2,490,000 Rental price € 9,000.00 per month
brings the outdoors inside and the indoors outside. Each of the five bedrooms has its own feel, but the master bedroom stands out. It measures fifty square meters and its design, with creative use of natural stone, is so understated yet so tasteful, that it doesn’t need any furniture except for a bed. The room has an ultra-luxurious bathroom with two walk-in closets, a massive walk-in shower and a custommade bath. Suprising detail: the old-style ‘Witjes’, replicas of 16th century Dutch ceramic tiles, on the bathroom walls. For extra relaxation, there’s a separate wellness area with its own bathroom and sauna. However, the biggest draw of the house must be its magnificent setting. It sits on a private 11.000 square meter peninsula surrounded by water and has a serene garden with several intimate terraces and hidden corners. Our favorite spot is the covered terrace, which has its own fireplace; perfect for those chilly but oh so beautiful evenings. But wherever you choose to chill out, there are picture-perfect views of the surrounding countryside – Monet would have certainly appreciated them.
www.greve.nl
Stapel op Greve locatie: schoenenfabriek Greve Waalwijk 2010
International Living the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 73
With its long stretches of coastline, Scandinavia has numerous lighthouses to show the way in the night. They inspired Danish designer Christian Bjørn to create this futuristic lighthouse-shaped oil lamp. Made from porcelain and aluminium, it has a unique construction enabling you to top up the oil without disassembling the lamp. Lighthouse is available in four sizes (22, 35, 50 and 65 cm) and can be used outdoors year-round. Lighthouse, from € 74,95,
www.menu.as Finally, the outdoor cooking season has arrived. Time to gather your apron, gloves and all those fun little barbecue toys. The Fyrkat Picnic charcoal grill is perfect for small surfaces. Place it on your terrace, balcony, porch or even in the back of your car so you can take your barbecue wherever the mood strikes you. Its body is made from enamel coated steel and comes in six colours: black, orange, yellow, red, green and white. The handle is made from heat-resistant silicone so you’ll never burn your hands again. Fyrkat, € 59,90
www.bodum.nl
Love visiting wine bars? Now enjoy the pleasure of serving and tasting different wines by the glass in your own home. The Enoline Smart couples the functionality of a professional wine dispenser with a neat and clean look and is compact enough for most countertops. With room for four bottles, it keeps your Pomerols and Chassagne-Montrachets fresh for up to three weeks thanks to a patented nitrogen injecting system. Pouring a sip or a glass is as easy as pressing a button. Enoline Smart, € 5170,
IKEA is famous for cheap mass-produced stuff with quirky Swedish names, but if you know where to look, there are some unique items to be found at the Scandinavian furniture behemoth. Take this vase. It’s mouth blown and each piece has been shaped by a skilled craftsman, so you’ll never run into the exact same vase at a friend’s house. Blommig – ‘flowery’ in Swedish – comes in three heights: 12 cm, 22 cm and 30 cm. Blommig, € 2,49, € 12,95 or € 16,95
www.ikea.nl
www.enosafe.nl Home fragrances tacky? Not per se. Renowned Italian perfume company Acqua di Parma recently launched a collection of room sprays that don’t reek of synthetic vanilla or pungent pine. Choose from five subtle scents: Amber, Spices, Colonia, Tea Leaves and Woods (our personal favourite). No need to hide them in the cupboard under the sink, as the bottles are stylish enough to put in full view. Profumo d’Ambiente, 180ml, € 59,
www.acquadiparma.it
WANT TO DISCUSS THE DUTCH NEWS? VISIT www.theinternationalcorrespondent.nl
the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 75
Dutch Style I ILLUSTRATE FROM A FASHIONABLE CONTEXT FASHION DESIGNER MEREL BOERS By fashion editor Dennis Roelofsen Dutch fashion designer and illustrator Merel Boers (1981) created her own visual world in black and white. Her alter ego Miss Blackbirdy lives in this lovely fashionable graphic environment full of flowers, birds, butterflies and young girls.
PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Bezem
She graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Art Academy in fashion design with honours (Cum Laude), won the BLVD Fashion Award, Lancôme Colour Designs Awards and more recently she was awarded a price by the Fiep Westendorp Foundation for young illustrators. Her fashion designs are crossovers between art, fashion and illustration. By sewing iconic images on fragile fashion pieces, she creates her Story Sewings. Apart from being a (fashion) designer Merel is a rising star in the business world. Her illustrations are used for licensed product such as bed linen, stationery and tableware in a growing number of countries. www.missblackbirdy.com
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Dutch Style the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 77
GOLDEN AGE Heading to the office, quickly looking at your watch before the train arrives, you can hardly imagine that the first Fromanteel clocks were made right next to Dam Square in the 17th century. The name of the famous Dutch clockmaker Ahasuerus Fromanteel, who made his clocks for wealthy merchants and members of the Dutch and English royal houses, now lives on as an exclusive brand that solely carries limited editions. With its contemporary designs and level of quality it is still modestly priced. PRICE: € 349,00.
www.fromanteel.nl
HEARTS WILL UNLOCK It is a fact that women hardly marry for the money anymore but a glittering piece from Tiffany does half the job. The new Tiffany Locks Collection holds the key to her heart. The pieces shown range from € 130 to € 800. Very affordable compared to a trip to New York actually. Amsterdam now has its own Tiffany & Co in the famous PC Hooftstraat. PRICE: € 130,00 - € 800,00
www.tiffany.com Tiffany & Co PC Hooftstraat 86-88 Amsterdam
CLOSED OPENED IN AMSTERDAM
DUTCH CRAFTMANSHIP Even men that don’t care for shoes at all can’t miss out on the heritage of the famous Greve brand. In 1898 Hermanus Greve started creating Dutch handmade Shoes with just one goal: to make the most superior Shoes in The Netherlands. Therefore the brand has been never the biggest but has always been the most traditional when it comes to craftsmanship. PRICE: € 199,95
www.greve.nl
Since the late seventies when the first designs under the Closed brand were made, there has been a strong focus on staying true to the functionality and every day wearability of their great denims and chinos. Innovating casuals in a sophisticated way without fetching things too far never seemed a problem. Following the recent opening of the flagship store at the heart of De Negen Straatjes (the nine streets) in Amsterdam, their full collection is now available to women throughout The Netherlands. PRICE: € 159,-
www.closed.com Closed Women Wolvenstraat 17, Amsterdam
DON’T TELL MY DAD Have you ever wanted to buy a simple classic dress-shirt or a more edgy checked one that doesn’t make you look like your dad? Here is what you do. Go to Il Rosso and buy the best quality and fit for little money. Look classic but not like-your-dad-classic.
www.ilrosso.com
DRESSING THE EYES When Alain Mikli met his first spectacles, 38 years ago now, it was love at first sight. He got the ambition to become a lunetier and soon celebrities like Elton John could be seen wearing his fashionable handmade frames. It is often said that Alain Mikli dresses the eyes. The collaboration with designer Philippe Starck took the collection to an even higher level. Now the legs of the frames can be bent in every direction because of tiny springs in the construction. PRICE: €375
www.amnl.nl
Gadgets 78 the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
PERSONAL-TV
IPAD CLONE Believe it or not, Apple’s iPad is not the only tablet available. Samsung recently launched its 10.9mm slim Galaxy Tab 10.1v. Android fans might be pleased, because this one comes with an Android 3.0 Honeycomb installation. What more can you expect? A 10.1” capacitive touch screen (1280x800), 8 megapixel rear camera with autofocus (capable of Full HD video), a SIM card slot and 16 or 32GB of internal memory. More importantly is what it hasn’t got: HDMI connectivity, 3/4G and MicroSD slot. The battery will last for seven hours of video playback. For the next 2 months the new Samsung Galaxy will only be sold in Vodafone stores (that’s where the ‘v’ comes from). Price: € 599 outright or € 32 per month.
Ever heard of a television with face recognition? Well, now you do. Toshiba’s 55-inch 55ZL1 comes with an integrated camera which recognises up to 4 faces. Every face has its personal settings, like volume, favorite channels, etc. If it’s your face in front of the camera, you can sit back and relax, without having to search for the remote control all the time. If the other ‘faces’ are watching as well, may the strongest one win. Besides this Personal-TV feature, Toshiba’s new flagship HDTV has the capabilities to perform 2D to 3D conversion, 3D Depth Control and HDD video recording. Price: app. € 6.000.
www.toshiba.com
www.samsung.com
MUSIC SCALE
PORTABLE CINEMA Being on the move all the time has its advantages. For one thing, you’re fully entitled to buy Sony’s first-ever portable Bluray Disc player. The newly launched BDP XS1 sports a 10.1” high resolution LCD swivel screen for crystal-clear viewing. It also offers USB connectivity and a battery that lets you watch for up to 5 hours before recharging. The BDP-SX1 is compact, lightweight and very transportable. Nonetheless, it promises the same quality entertainment experience as Sony’s homebased players. No matter where you go.
www.sony.com
iPod docks, we’ve seen them all, haven’t we? Well, not quite. This one is just special enough to be mentioned in, let’s say, a magazine’s gadget column. Frieling’s ‘Joy’ is the world’s first kitchen scale with integrated iPod/iPhone docking and charging station. Its speaker is located in the base. Don’t be afraid the iPod station will get messy, because it comes with a protective cover. The weighing surface is made of safety glass, but this is quite irrelevant actually. Price: app. € 70,-.
www.frieling.com
Test the INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT 79
To buy or not to buy:
iPad1 vs iPad2 Are you considering buying your first iPad? Perhaps you’re wondering whether it’s worth upgrading your iPad 1 to the all new iPad 2 ?
By electronics and gadgets editor David Lemereis
In April 2010 Apple introduced the iPad 1. Less than a year later and the iPad 1 has already been superseded by the iPad 2. The iPad 2 is faster, thinner and lighter, has the same 10 hour battery life and two cameras built in for a price that’s € 20 cheaper compared to a similar model as last year’s. Yet, more bang for your buck doesn’t necessarily mean the iPad 2 is the better deal.
Faster, thinner and lighter So what has changed? The screen is the same. The memory configurations are still 16, 32 and 64 GB with WiFi only or optional 3G. The overall footprint also remains unchanged but the iPad 2 thickness has been reduced from 13.4 mm to 8.8 mm. Depending on the model, the weight has also been reduced by about 80 grams. That doesn’t sound like much but strangely enough, combined with the much thinner form factor, the iPad 2 feels much lighter and more comfortable to hold than the iPad 1. You’ll definitely notice the difference. The iPad 2 sports a new dual core 1GHz A5 chip and greatly improved graphical performance which Apple claims makes the iPad 2 twice as fast and nine times as powerful in the graphics department. RAM has also been upgraded from 256MB to 512MB. Take these numbers with a grain of salt. Sure, overall the iPad 2 feels snappier, apps start quicker and webpages pop up a bit faster. However, most of the apps were designed for the iPad 1 and at this moment are not yet optimised for the faster hardware. For email, YouTube, Twitter, reading news and eBooks and listening to music, the speed boost will hardly improve the experience.
The most obvious apps that will benefit from speed are games. Game developers are optimising game apps to bring faster frame rates and much improved graphics. If you do a lot of presentations with Apple’s presentation software Keynote the iPad 2 speed boost could be the deal breaker. On the iPad 1 switching Keynote slides is sluggish to the point of being almost useless. On the iPad 2, Keynote zips right along. In addition, specialised power hungry apps such as iMovie and GarageBand will only run on the faster iPad 2.
To see or not to see The iPad 1 was much criticised for the lack of built-in cameras. The iPad 2 now has a front face camera for FaceTime video conferencing and a rear facing camera for video. Both cameras are of mediocre quality. The front facing camera is good enough for grandparents to get a peek at their grandchildren and with the rear facing camera you can show off your new apartment to your friends abroad. Don’t expect the video quality of your Smartphone camera.
Well? When Apple introduced the iPad 2 it lowered the price of the iPad 1 by € 120. By now Apple has sold out all iPad 1s but on the used market you can find an iPad 1 still under warranty for as little as € 300. A real bargain compared to a new iPad 2. After all, if you don’t need the cameras, the overall media consumption experience on the iPads hardly differs. If you love games or want to use the iPad for Keynote presentations, edit movies or create music, invest in the faster iPad 2.
EVERY ROLEX IS MADE FOR GRE ATNESS. THE DAY-DATE, INTRODUCED IN
1956, WAS THE FIRST WATCH TO DISPL AY THE DATE, AS WELL AS THE DAY IN ITS ENTIRETY. A POWERFUL EXPRESSION OF ELEGANCE AND STYLE, ITS CL ASSIC DESIGN QUICKLY BECAME A FAVOURITE AMONG WORLD LEADERS.
the day -date