The Dutch in conflict over shop closing laws

The City of Amsterdam wants to change Dutch shop closing laws and extend weekend opening times. The Christian-conservative government parties are against this. At the moment only businesses in tourism-oriented regions are allowed to open their doors on Sundays. The liberal daily NRC Handelsblad supports the City of Amsterdam's proposal: "The cabinet doesn't trust the local authorities, the local councils, to pass judgement on shop closing times. This is embarrassing, for what could be more logical than that the local authorities decide for themselves. Taking into account local opinion and the local culture the municipal authorities could make their own decision about what takes priority: Sunday peace or freedom of enterprise for [business people] to decide for themselves when to open their shop doors. … Unlimited shopping on Sundays is unlikely to become a reality in the Netherlands in 2010. For the denominational parties any Sunday on which the shops are open is a Sunday too many. … Consumers are left empty-handed."

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