The anger of farmers is reflected at the ballot box, to the point of jeopardizing the government’s environmental ambitions.
Political earthquake in the Netherlands! A few days ago, the “Farmer-Citizen Movement” (“BoerBurgerBeweging” or “BBB”), was still a microscopic party, which had only one elected, Caroline van der Plas, its leader, elected deputy in 2021 – on the day of her inauguration, she had arrived in Parliament by tractor.
>> Netherlands: the “Citizen Farmer Movement” causes a stir before the local elections
In the provincial elections of Wednesday March 15, surprise: he comes first in 11 provinces (out of 12). He breaks the barracks. And as these elections determine the composition of the Senate, BBB suddenly becomes the most powerful party there for the next four years.
The symbol of the inverted flag
No one saw it coming, nor Caroline van der Plas, nor the polls and even less the government. In front of her supporters on Wednesday evening, Caroline van der Plas wore her signature green nail polish and a ring adorned with an upturned Dutch flag, a symbol of anti-government protests.
Normally, we would not speak on franceinfo of the Dutch provincial elections, which moreover do not even interest the Dutch themselves – that would be a bit pointed. Except that this year, the participation (about 57.5%) is the highest for years. For the agricultural world, the stakes were enormous.
Because it is at the level of the provinces that the government will set up in June its ambitious plan to reduce nitrogen emissions, intended to comply with European recommendations, but which arouses the anger of farmers. “We don’t really feel heard, sometimes we don’t even feel welcome in our own country anymore.“, told AFP last week Erik Stegink, national president of the BBB and pig farmer.
Eviction of farmers
This plan plans to reduce the number of animals by at least 30% at national level and to expel farmers whose farms are located too close to Natura 2000 areas to protect them from pollution.
The soils are full of nitrous oxide, ammonia and nitrates and the effluents from pig and dairy farms represent almost half of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the country.
Thirty years ago, the Netherlands made the choice of intensive farming, that’s how they succeeded in becoming the 1st exporter of meat in the European Union, despite its small size (about 41 500 km2 for 18 million inhabitants).
Nee 6% van de huidige bbb stemmers stemde in 2021 ook al voor @BoerBurgerB . Gelukkig is aantal BBB stemmers explosief gegroeid, 100/6= 16.67% groei, klopt dat?
Enorm blij en trots ben ik dat ik al bij die eerste stemmers zat. pic.twitter.com/9i5WC3HmPk— Jacoline Peek (@JacolinePeek) March 17, 2023
Except that today this model is in an environmental, economic and societal impasse, its reform is a necessity. The “Farmer-Citizen Movement”, supported by part of the population, continues to defend it. Classified as a right-wing, populist, rather anti-European Union and anti-immigration party, it asks why the government does not attack other sectors such as industry and transport. The Hague wants to release 25 billion euros by 2035 to help the agricultural sector reduce its nitrogen emissions.
The weakened government
The coalition of Mark Rutte, already a minority in the Senate, takes a big blow. It’s not “not the win we wanted “, conceded the Prime Minister to the Dutch press agency ANP. Farmer-citizens will be able to demand big concessions on his anti-nitrogen plan.
SSU in the province of Overijssel
Spectacular result announced by BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB). Severe setback by the Christian Democrats (CDA), one of the radical right parties (FvD) and the liberal party of Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD). pic.twitter.com/Tvli5ITxyF
—Pascal Delwit (@PDelwit) March 15, 2023
The Prime Minister, at the head of the centre-right VVD party, in office since 2010, is in his 4th consecutive mandate: he has seen others. But he should not overlook the fact that the farmers’ movement has also won the votes of a part of the population that is tired of or has lost confidence in the traditional parties…”BBB’s historic win is the result of many protest votes“, says Marleen de Rooy, journalist at public television NOS. He who is called “Mr. Teflon”, because everything slides on it without ever reaching him risks this year … to hang a little.