The Monocle Minute

The recent attacks on Israeli football supporters in Amsterdam have not only shocked the world but revealed the true face of Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof’s populist government. What began as appalling street-level violence has morphed into an absurdist piece of political theatre in which, rather than seeking to calm tensions, the government has attempted to fight racism with more racism. This inflammatory response has thrown Dutch politics into disarray and brought the fragile ruling coalition close to collapse.

Schoof has framed the clashes as evidence of the failed integration of those with Moroccan heritage in Dutch society, steering public discourse towards his anti-immigration agenda. Many politicians aimed their arrows at people with dual citizenship, lumping a group of about 1.3 million people with the 60 or so who were arrested for violence. A subsequent cabinet meeting became so toxic that Nora Achahbar, a junior minister of Moroccan heritage, resigned from the government. Schoof’s implausible denial of racism during a press conference following her departure rang hollow, while Geert Wilders, the far-right leader who is the real power behind the throne, has called for the resignation of Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema, whose response to the attacks has been constructive rather than combative.

This cabinet, led by a prime minister with limited political experience and no party affiliation, has revealed itself to be unworkable. Problems caused by its amateurism and internal divisions have been exacerbated by Wilders, who has no official position, and his extremist rhetoric, which has repeatedly risen to the surface in the past few months. As this style of politics gains traction, the Netherlands teeters on the edge of a precipice. The question is no longer whether Schoof’s government can survive – I give it a few months – but whether Dutch democracy can withstand the corrosive forces that are now pulling it apart.

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

Millions of Swedish households have started receiving copies of a pamphlet containing tips on how to survive in the event of war or an unexpected catastrophe. Om krisen eller kriget kommer (In Case of Crisis or War) was first issued by the Swedish government during the Second World War and has been updated several times since. Advice includes ensuring that you have access to emergency supplies of food and water; staples such as potatoes and blueberry-and-rosehip soup are recommended.

“If Sweden is attacked, we will never surrender,” the authors declare in the opening pages. “Any suggestion to the contrary is false.” Most of the country’s Nordic neighbours have issued similar pamphlets, with Finland’s updated digital brochure including instructions on how to survive in subzero temperatures. As governments across Europe prepare their societies for potential conflict, the Nordics remain ahead of the curve.

It has been a rollercoaster few years for Japan’s premium matcha producers. Having survived the coronavirus pandemic, they are now experiencing a global boom that has forced some suppliers to suspend sales. Ippodo Tea, a 307-year-old business, recently announced that it could no longer keep up with the increased demand for certain products. Many matcha-makers are small family outfits, grinding leaves into powder using traditional processing methods that can’t easily be scaled up.

There also isn’t enough tencha, the shaded tea leaves needed to make the prized green powder. Much of the world’s best matcha comes from Uji, a small city just south of Kyoto. Marukyu Koyamaen, a producer based there, has put sales limits in place to prevent resellers from mopping up supplies. Plans are under way to increase matcha production but, like the perfect brew, they will take time and patience to complete.

French fashion brand Jacquemus is expanding, opening its first US shop in New York last month and unveiling a flagship on London’s New Bond Street last Friday. The latter occupies an entire building and features interiors designed by international architecture firm OMA. Simon Porte Jacquemus, the brand’s founder, has applied his signature Mediterranean touch to the space: think curved stucco walls and a warm palette of cream, yellow and orange hues.

Across the shop’s four storeys, you’ll also find artworks on display, from Henri Laurens drawings and Wolfgang Tillmans photographs to bronze sculptures by English artist Henry Moore. The latest openings mark a new chapter for the brand as it matures from trendy upstart to fully fledged fashion house. Jacquemus, who is currently seeking investors in his brand, is rumoured to be in the running for the top job at Chanel.

On Friday, The Standard opened a new 62-key riverside bolthole in Bangkok’s Old Town. The StandardX is part of a sub-brand of hotels that debuted in the Asia-Pacific region earlier this year, targeting younger travellers with pared-back interiors and a more wallet-friendly rack rate. Regular collaborators Studio Freehand worked on the interior design; the Bangkok studio has worked with some of the biggest names in Thai hospitality, including Anantara and Centara. As high season approaches in Thailand, we check in with Studio Freehand’s co-founder Sam Limpaphatanavanich.

How’s business?
Good. The first half of the year was relatively slow but the economy is picking up a bit. There’s a lot going on in Phuket and the south of Thailand. Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas opened at the end of last year. And I’m looking forward to receiving feedback from guests at The StandardX in Bangkok. It’s one of the first properties to open under The Standard brand.

What are clients asking for these days?
Everything has to be done much faster and property owners are far more informed. They have done their research – they know what’s available and they want something unique. Lifestyles have also changed. Guests stay in hotels but they tend to order food from outside, so the room design needs to cater to that.

As tourists flock to Thailand for some winter sun, where are you heading?
I’m going north, where the temperature is much cooler than in Bangkok or the south. Winter is pretty rare in Thailand, so I love Chiang Mai at this time of year. For something less developed, Nan province is really nice. There are no big-name hotels; we usually stay at a small guesthouse.

What will 2025 look like for you?
Our hotel project in the Maldives for Centara Grand will be opening early next year. I’m expecting the first half of 2025 to be pretty busy. We’re also moving into a new office on the first working day of the year, as long as construction is completed by then. It’s about three times bigger than our current space. We are beefing up the team to about 20 people and adding offices, as well as a bigger materials library.

standardx.com; studio-freehand.com

Gregory Scruggs hops aboard a street car in El Paso to find out how the revival of this transportation option has struck a chord with the locals.