EU Founding & Modern Era

The Netherlands is a founding member of the European Community (1957, Treaty of Rome, together with Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, and Luxembourg) and played a central role in European integration. The Maastricht Treaty (1992), which established the EU in its current form, was signed in the southernmost city of the Netherlands.

The Hague is the world capital of international law: It hosts the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and dozens of international organizations. The Dutch tradition of international law dates back to Hugo Grotius (1583–1645), the "father of international law."

Since the 1960s, the Netherlands has established itself as a pioneer of progressive policies: decriminalization of cannabis (1976), the world's first same-sex marriage (2001), euthanasia law (2002). At the same time, the Netherlands — like all of Europe — grapples with questions of immigration, integration, and identity. The murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh (2004) and the rise of populist parties highlight the tensions in the "most tolerant society in the world."