The Monocle Minute

In a major volte-face, the Netherlands has decided to re-tank its military a mere decade after selling its entire mechanised fleet to Finland. The move speaks volumes about Europe’s rapidly changing security landscape and the fact that armoured warfare is still dangerously relevant. Prior to Russia’s war in Ukraine, defence planning was largely focused on cyberspace threats.

The 2011 decision to scrap the tanks was naive. Though not surrounded by enemies, the Netherlands is an important part of Europe’s defence strategy. As a major Nato logistics hub, it will play a vital role in any future conflicts. Rotterdam and Vlissingen ports are key entry points for UK and US military equipment and the country hosts nuclear weapons.

The future tank battalion is expected to be equipped with German-made 50 Leopard 2A8s and reported to come with an annual cost of about €300m. The irony is hard to miss. Former prime minister Mark Rutte, soon to be Nato’s new secretary-general, championed the very budget cuts that sent the tanks to Helsinki in the first place. The new acquisitions have been warmly welcomed by the Dutch army. Nato forces such as Norway and Czechia have also placed orders, underscoring the critical importance of interoperability within the alliance.

The Dutch tank battalion’s integration into Germany’s forces exemplifies the two countries’ growing synergy following last year’s virtual merger of their land forces. While late to the party, the Netherlands’ latest move aligns with calls for a more robust common European defence policy and shows its commitment to the continent’s manufacturers. The Hague’s about-face, a reluctant yet vital pivot, sees Dutch tanks ready to defend not just tulip fields but the rest of Europe too.

Stefan de Vries is a journalist and Monocle contributor based in Amsterdam. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Milan Design Week wrapped up almost five months ago but planning for the 2025 edition is already in full swing. Alcova – the platform for new and emerging design talent, which has become Fuorisalone’s hottest ticket – held an intimate event in Milan on Tuesday night, where it announced the venues for its next instalments.

As well as heading back to Design Miami for its second year in December (Alcova will set up shop at the historic River Inn), founders Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima confirmed its two venues for April 2025 in Milan. Following its 2024 choices, the platform decided to return to Varedo in Lombardy’s historic Brianza manufacturing district, where the aesthetic of using abandoned or underused spaces partly overtaken by nature continues. Alcova 2025 will exhibit at the rationalist former SNIA factory as well as Serre Pasino, a greenhouse that was once home to one of Europe’s largest white-orchid cultivations. “Having found these two jewels, it would have been stupid not to return,” says Ciuffi.

Indonesia’s president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, announced yesterday that his country has begun construction of a major new rail line as part of Jakarta’s mass rapid transit system. The project was funded to the tune of $1bn (€900m) by a Japanese loan earlier this year. Once completed in 2031, the new rail line will run for 25km across the capital from Bekasi on its eastern border to the far west.

It aims to connect the inner-city area’s 10 million inhabitants to Jakarta’s outskirts – where three times as many Indonesians reside – helping to alleviate the city’s significant issues with traffic. The project is already ahead of schedule: when the generous 40-year loan from the Japan International Co-operation Agency was signed off, it wasn’t expected that construction would begin until 2025. The scheme is all part of Jokowi’s push to improve the country’s infrastructure, as well as an example of strengthening Indonesian-Japanese relations. But the move might cause friction with China, whose Belt and Road Initiative helped build the Jakarta-Bandung railway, which opened last year.

The Perfect Couple is Netflix’s new must-watch series featuring a cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber and Isabelle Adjani. It is directed and executive produced by award-winning Danish director Susanne Bier. Here, she tells us more about the murder mystery set in Nantucket.

There is a lot of humour in the series, despite being a murder mystery. Why did you decide to include this?
I liked the idea of a fun and light whodunnit. Most of my work in the English language has been quite serious. But let’s not forget that my most popular work is a Danish comedy. I wanted to do something similar in English.

How much of your heritage do you bring to your work outside of Denmark?
Like the US, I think that Denmark is a very egalitarian society, which has given me a natural sense of belonging. I always try to inflect my work with a Danish sense of humour. As a director, what you bring to your work comes from how you were brought up and how that brought you to where you are now.

How do you compare filming a TV series to shooting a film?
It’s exciting to do something in six parts and over six hours because it gives me the space to create characters that have a lot of breathing space and can be meaningful. I want to make another film but I am more concerned about finding the right story, characters and setting than the length. I treat a TV series the same way that I treat a feature film. The Perfect Couple was shot in a similar manner. It’s not like we shot chronologically. One morning we might have filmed a scene from episode five, followed by a scene from episode two in the afternoon.

For our full interview with Susanne Bier, tune in to the latest episode of ‘The Monocle Weekly’ on Monocle Radio.

How do smart leaders turn a crisis into an opportunity? Summa Equity founder Reynir Indahl discusses how the 2008 crash inspired his purpose-driven investment firm. And: how a health scare inspired a career shift into public speaking.