Henk Staghouwer, who resigned on Monday, may not have been a heavyweight as Minister of LNV, but his position was not to be envied. Together with Minister Christianne van der Wal for nitrogen policy, he had to manage the Ministry of Agriculture, while Johan Remkes and Mark Rutte were also involved in his policy.
Two ministers are holding each other captive at LNV. One a little more than the other. The real Minister of Agriculture must develop policy, offer opportunities, set out lines. The other is mainly to slow down, to contain, because nitrogen emissions must be reduced, especially in agriculture, according to numerous documents released by the central government in recent months in response to requests for disclosure (WOO). And Van der Wal had more in mind than Staghouwer. On top of that there was the involvement of Johan Remkes and in the background Mark Rutte with the agricultural dossier. They, too, nibbled policy space from him.
Staghouwer made himself small
The ChristenUnie minister from Groningen gives the reason for his departure that, on reflection, he considered the job too big for himself. Not a word about too little room for maneuver or possible differences of opinion with fellow ministers, but it cannot have been otherwise than he ran into that. That he failed to outline serious perspectives for agriculture in addition to the highly restrictive nitrogen plans of VVD colleague Van der Wal. That cannot have been due to his intellectual and managerial qualities alone.
LNV looks like a criminal portfolio
As Minister of LNV with a stripped-down mandate, he could do almost nothing. Even more so than its predecessor (and now successor) Carola Schouten. In this respect, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is very similar to a criminal portfolio, as it used to be in the Soviet Union. If you wanted to get rid of a political rival, you made this person Minister of Agriculture. Failing policy guaranteed. That's how it seems to be going now, but without any preconceived intention. The cause is ingrained in the way the Ministry of LNV is managed and in the way the cabinet wishes to solve the nitrogen problem. There is virtually no room for policy, because of nitrogen. Almost everywhere you have to put the brakes on. A dismantling manager may be satisfied with that, but Staghouwer apparently does not.