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The Hague
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The Hague

Dutch city housing the country's national government and the seat of the Dutch Investment Screening Bureau.

In 2026, The Hague remains the Dutch seat of government, Parliament and royal court, where national economic-security decisions are made.

Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Why is The Hague where sovereignty decisions get made while Brussels still debates them?

Timeline for The Hague

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Background

The Hague is the working seat of the Dutch government, Parliament and royal court. Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, but national ministries and the Binnenhof parliamentary complex make The Hague the country’s practical political centre.

The city also hosts international legal institutions, including the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court. Its government functions place it at the centre of Dutch decisions on economic security, including scrutiny of critical digital infrastructure after authorities blocked Kyndryl’s purchase of Solvinity on 26 May.

That role matters beyond individual disputes. Dutch policy choices affecting technology and trade can shape European arguments over Strategic autonomy, as shown by Cabinet friction with Washington over proposed restrictions on ASML’s China business on 24 June.

Common Questions
Why is The Hague the seat of the Dutch government if Amsterdam is the capital?
Amsterdam is the Netherlands' constitutional capital, but The Hague has been the seat of executive and legislative power since the Dutch Golden Age. The Binnenhof parliamentary complex, all government ministries and the royal court are located in The Hague. The distinction is historical and constitutional rather than functional.Source: Dutch government / constitutional history
What international institutions are based in The Hague?
The Hague hosts the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and Europol headquarters, among other international bodies. This concentration of international-law institutions gives it an outsized role in global legal norm-setting relative to its size.Source: ICJ / ICC / Europol
What sovereignty decision was made in The Hague in May 2026?
On 26 May 2026, Dutch Minister Willemijn Aerdts, operating from The Hague, prohibited Kyndryl's €100m acquisition of cloud provider Solvinity. It was the first US-deal prohibition under Dutch investment-screening law, issued on CLOUD Act sovereignty grounds while the European Commission's CAIDA legislation was still awaiting adoption.Source: The Next Web
Did the Nexperia court case take place in The Hague?
No. The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, which invoked the Goods Availability Act over Nexperia on 30 September 2025, is headquartered in The Hague, but the subsequent legal proceedings ran through the Amsterdam Court of Appeal's Enterprise Chamber, not through any court in The Hague.Source: Lowdown
Source Material
The Netherlands just blocked a US company from buying the cloud provider that runs Dutch digital identityThe Hague city official website

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 1 October 2026. Editorial standards.