News Nitrogen
CDA sticks to it: 2030 is not sacred
The CDA maintains that 2030 is not sacred when it comes to achieving the nitrogen targets. "Without the farmers and without the provinces as allies, no area vision will get off the ground ... and the year 2030 is not sacred for us," said Pieter Heerma, party leader of the CDA in the House of Representatives. D66 and VVD are sticking to the agreement in the coalition agreement, but also say they will wait for Johan Remkes' report first. The CDA is also awaiting Remkes' conclusions.
Today (Tuesday), at the request of Geert Wilders (PVV), the Chamber is conducting an emergency debate on the statements by the Minister of Foreign Affairs about the nitrogen agreements in the coalition agreement and about purchasing power. Wopke Hoekstra (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and party leader of the CDA), Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD) and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Karien van Gennip (CDA) will be present at the debate. Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag (D66) is not there because she became unwell this morning and was admitted to hospital.
CDA awaits Remkes report first
The opposition parties in the House of Representatives demand clarity about what the CDA will do. Or it remains empty words that 2030 is not sacred for the nitrogen targets or that the CDA is prepared to pull the plug from the cabinet. Heerma says he stands behind his party leader Wopke Hoekstra, but does not want to give a concrete answer. The CDA will await Johan Remkes' report 'whether it has been possible to break the impasse', he indicates.
Heerma: "This is an unusual debate about an important statement by my party leader, a necessary statement about concerns that are widespread in society ... Flags are hanging upside down from Limburg to Friesland as a cry for help from a society without perspective ... The impasse that must be broken And my group and my party cannot be moved from that path, we have to change the course, because a politician must always dare to walk ahead of the troops, to show the way forward. But who before the troops advance, must also look back in time to make sure people can still follow."
"CDA stands for nature restoration, says Heerma. "In the nitrogen debate we are faced with a major task to restore vulnerable nature in our country, but that task cannot do without prospects for a vital countryside and a healthy future for agriculture. Without the farmers and without the provinces as allies, no area vision will get off the ground, because we will not take a step forward with our heels in the sand. We need to get rid of the technocratic top-down arguments that there is only one compelling route. That is also the impasse that we have to break, and the year 2030 is not sacred for us. This will be feasible in many places, but if more time is specifically needed in some places, then that should be negotiable. Our aim is not to stop the transition, but to get it back on track."
D66 and VVD in the House of Representatives want to stick to the timeline for nitrogen reduction. Jan Paternotte, party leader of D66: "The assignment that the cabinet has given to Remkes is clear, the agreements are clear in that regard, and again: not a political wish of one or more parties. That is simply because things are going very badly with nature in the Netherlands, that we have known this for a long time, that we already had that Council of State decision three years ago and that the nitrogen approach is still not fast enough, and because we as the Netherlands have agreed that we want nature protect and don't want to let it break."
'Goals up until we agree on something else'
Gert-Jan Segers (ChristenUnie) agreed with Paternotte that it is 'not a political wish, but a bitter necessity'. "We know what needs to be done, we know we can't wait. We know we've waited too long... now we're going to talk all day and a year threatens to become a totem pole, and I find that really frustrating. .. All goals stand until we agree on something else, and that is not my commitment ... My commitment is to get out, socially, in politics, here broadly, in the coalition. working on nature restoration and preserving a good future for farmers."
Waiting for Remkes report
"For the VVD applies: a deal is a deal," said party leader of the VVD Sophie Hermans. "We have made agreements about nitrogen to reduce emissions and they stand up to us." According to her, if one of the parties has difficulty with the coalition agreement, you can discuss it, but do not immediately go to the newspaper. "That means that I was also surprised... Then it comes down to: how do you proceed with it? There is a process, Remkes, I want to wait for that process." The CDA is now also waiting for Johan Remkes' report. Heerma: "Remkes will come out with his conclusions next week, or the week after that. That is the moment when we as a CDA faction decide whether we have succeeded in achieving a restart."
The debate is still ongoing and can be followed via the website of the House of Representatives.
Linda van Eekeres
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