All of today's papers cover the resignation of the seven-member North Holland Provincial Council in the wake of a report criticising the council for investing a huge sum of money in an Icelandic savings bank, which declared bankruptcy a few months ago. De Volkskrant writes that the report says the councillors "ignored their own rules and failed to provide adequate financial supervision". North Holland province lost 78 million euros of the taxpayers’ money after plonking it all in an internet savings account. It is still not yet clear if the province will be able to get its money back.

North Holland Queen's Commissioner (the government-appointed governor of the province) Harry Borghouts told the left-wing daily, "None of the councillors committed any acts necessitating resignation, however, in the light of the report, all of deputies have decided to acknowledge their responsibilities."

Commissioner Borghouts did not join his colleagues in resigning despite what AD calls, "the damning report over Mr Borghouts' role in the affair".

Bos dismisses criticism of Labour Party
Last week's European Union Parliamentary elections were fairly disastrous for social democratic parties across the EU and the Dutch Labour party was no exception, losing four of its seven seats. The bashing at the polls has of course resulted in navel-gazing and calls for change, re-evaluation, reassessment and fresh efforts to connect with the ordinary voter.

In an article in AD - printed yesterday - Culture Minister Ronald Plasterk blamed the Labour party's electoral debacle on, "elitism and a failure to listen to the concerns of voters in problem neighbourhoods". The blame game continues today in Trouw and NRC Handelsblad. Trouw reports that Labour elder statesman Jan Pronk blames the party's disastrous showing in the European polls on party leader Wouter Bos' failure to lead the campaign and tackle the issues, a theme expanded on by former minister Rick van der Ploeg in an opinion piece in NRC Handelsblad.

AD writes that Wouter Bos says the party is on the right path and sees no reason to change course now. According to the populist tabloid, Wouter Bos is singularly unimpressed by the criticism from the culture minister, "he hasn't said anything new".

Move to punish rude MPs
De Telegraaf writes that former deputy prime minister and current mayor of Almere, Annemarie Jorritsma, has called for "rude MPs to be prosecuted" because "it encourages people to be rude to police officers and emergency service personnel." She tells the populist broadsheet, "The entire lower house is guilty. It's no wonder that police officers and ambulance crews are verbally abused."

The Almere mayor continues: "MPs use the same language as people on the street; it sets a very poor example. And it's not only rude MPs who are setting a poor example; the cabinet isn't helping much either. If the proposed cuts to police forces' budgets go through, the cabinet's goal of a 25 percent reduction in public nuisance offences will be completely unachievable."

Wanted: kidney donor
AD reports on a "curious" advert discovered between ads for used cars, old sewing machines and romantic liaisons: "I'm looking for a good Samaritan kidney donor, blood group O-positive." The advert, which appeared in all the Dutch papers, was placed by 63-year-old Adrie de Graaf. He tells the populist tabloid, "I've been waiting for a new kidney for four years; I’m tied to a dialysis machine and I feel like a prisoner." So far, he has had three responses but still no kidney. The first was a conman, the second backed out at the last moment and the third wanted 5,000 euros.

Mr De Graaf says he is desperate and now hopes to get a donor kidney from Afghanistan, "I don't care where it comes from, as long as it's not from a dog or a cat."

Easy win for Dutch football team
Several papers carry photographs of ecstatic men in orange shirts hugging and kissing each other, which can only mean one thing: the national football team has scored a goal or two! "Oranje keeps on winning" screams the headline on the front page of ADs sport section, followed by several pages of praise and analysis of last night's two-nil win over Norway. The Dutch team has already qualified for the 2010 World Cup, but last night's win gives the Netherlands an unassailable lead at the top of the table in their group.

Trouw, NRC.next and De Telegraaf all print similar photos with similar headlines and heap praise on the team and coach Bert van Marwijk.

For everyone who thinks that football is a silly game and there is far too much of it in the papers and on television, there were a few consoling words in the Protestant Trouw: "The Dutch national team brought the 2008-2009 football season to a close last night with its seventh victory in a row. The team can now go on holiday and not have to worry." Football season is over, hallelujah!