Surprise polls heat up competition in party politics. Amsterdam offers advice on how to keep out Hells Angels. Half the population is too fat. Rumours circulate of imminent abdication as queen turns 74. And Dutch hearts warm as temperatures drop.

As the outdoor temperatures drop, the political temperatures are rising. Trouw prints an analysis of the latest opinion polls. Marketing agency Ipsos Synovate asked voters to give marks out of ten for the Dutch parliamentary party leaders. Emile Roemer of the Socialist Party (SP) comes out on top (7 out of 10) while Geert Wilders of the Freedom Party (PVV) is given the lowest ranking (four out of ten).

Surprising opinion polls for political parties
In the past, week the Socialist Party itself has been surprised by its record-breaking showing in the polls. The party currently has 15 seats in parliament, but a poll by Maurice de Hond shows the SP to be the biggest party with 34 seats if there were an election now. Trouw writes that the surprise is partly because the party’s popularity has increased without Mr Roemer going out campaigning. Same party, same manifesto, so what has changed? Well his success is apparently partly down to the leadership problems in the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Green Left. The papers says both Job Cohen (PvdA) and Jolanda Sap (GL) are having difficulty finding their way. Their parties also seem slightly lost with no clear course.

But the real turning point is the drop in popularity of the Freedom Party. Party leader Geert Wilders’ criticism of Queen Beatrix, who wore a headscarf during a visit to mosques during recent state visits to Oman and United Arab Emirates, has backfired. Plus people are starting to feel the effects of government cuts supported by Mr Wilders in their pay packets. Trouw predicts the SP will climb further in the polls as everyone likes a winner, but warns that the other parties will not be standing still.

Amsterdam helps neighbours keep Hells Angels out
As the demolition crews get ready to knock down Hells Angels club ‘Angels Place’ in Amsterdam, the city council has offered its services to neighbouring municipalities to help them keep the biker club out, reports Trouw. Meanwhile Hells Angels leader Daniël Unyputty has stood down, as he ‘wants to spend more time with his family’ – an excuse that is usually uttered by politicians who wish to leave the political arena.

De Telegraaf informs us that Justice and Security Minister Ivo Opstelten is clamping down on the ‘outlaw bikers’. He wants to put an end to the intimidation and extortion practices linked to biker clubs like the Hells Angels. Rival motor club Satudarah, which is linked to the drugs trade, will also come under scrutiny. But it's difficult to prove biker crime. Several recent cases in which bikers were brought to court for membership of a criminal organisation have been thrown out due to lack of evidence.

The minister says, “We have to put a stop to the idea that you can get away with breaking the law.” Nevertheless, the Amsterdam chapter of Hells Angels has received 400,000 euros from the council in compensation to move off the piece of land that it had claimed for the last forty years.

Half of Dutch population is too fat
The press appears to be obsessed with our weight this morning. While AD claims in big fat letters “We are getting too fat”, nrc.next prints a photo of a slim model, who was refused contracts with the excuse “Sorry too fat” in spite of winning TV competition Holland’s Next Top Model.

Meanwhile De Volkskrant asks who is responsible for the obesity epidemic: the food industry, the government or the parents? In AD, Health Minister Edith Schippers says, “Everyone can make a contribution: caterers, schools, local councils, sports clubs, shops and parents.” The government has set aside 70 million euros to promote sport.

Half the Dutch population is overweight and there are currently 75,000 obese children in the Netherlands. “If you take a photo of a class of children in the 1970s and one of children the same age now: back then you could count their ribs, now you would have to go looking for them, ” says a professor in sports medicine in De Volkskrant. There have been parliamentary questions about obesity since the 1970s, but it was only in 2005 that former health minister Hans Hoogervorst took action. So far initiatives to reduce obesity appear to have failed.

Are rumours of an imminent abdication unfounded?
AD reflects on rumours that Queen Beatrix may be about to abdicate. The paper writes you could set the clock on speculation. Tomorrow is the Dutch monarch’s 74th birthday and Thursday is Crown Prince Willem-Alexander’s and Princess Máxima’s tenth wedding anniversary.

And there are more reasons behind the rumours: a new head of the Queen’s cabinet has been appointed and Prince Willem-Alexander has finally sold off his controversial holiday home in Mozambique for a symbolic price. However, the paper admits nobody but the queen herself knows when she will abdicate. According to Saturday’s edition of Trouw, orange committees have even started putting together plans for celebrations when Prince Willem-Alexander does take the throne.

Although there are plenty of signs that there might be a change of guard in the palace, analysts don’t think Queen Beatrix will drop the gauntlet in favour of her eldest son while there is so much political uncertainty. Nevertheless, Interior Minister Maxime Verhagen said last Friday, “The prince is more than ready to take on the job, as he has been for many years.”

AD refers to the queen, who is the country’s longest reigning monarch, as the Netherlands’ Chief Executive Officer. Queen Beatrix is known to be a perfectionist and her staff work very hard. One thing is for certain, she’ll be a hard act to follow.

Dutch hearts warm as temperatures drop
Many Dutch people start to feel warmer as the temperature drops. Trouw prints a photo of skaters on the Weissensee in Austria practising for the Dutch Marathon Championships on Wednesday. The paper says that, back in the Netherlands, people will be able to skate on flooded fields before the end of the week. By the weekend, the ice will be thick enough on small lakes. AD predicts the first marathon on natural ice on Wednesday. The end of January and beginning of February is statistically the coldest period of the year.

The water pumps on the dikes in Friesland, which only a few weeks ago were working flat out to pump away excess water from reclaimed land, have now been switched off to allow the ice to grow. There are no signs so far that the temperatures will stay low for long enough to hold the famous 200-kilometre 11 Cities Race. But I expect speculation will reach fever pitch if the cold spell continues.