Strange birds from The Hague and government officials

There is a lot to achieve for the participating parties and at the same time it is also like walking on eggshells, because the entire opposition, plus many other participants in the Hague circus - including the press - think that it will not work, or at least not have a long life is protected. And otherwise they are happy to help make it fail.

Civil servants want to participate in government
Civil servants who thought they would no longer be able to cope with all those strange birds from outside were not as numerous in 2002 as they are now. That is a difference. There was more laughter at the inexperienced newcomers, who sometimes preferred their own (much more expensive) car to the official car. Civil servants were also much more servants of power at the time. Now they more often tend to want to participate in government and apparently they also feel that they have the right to do so.

Gaza letter
A striking example of this is the recent 'official letter' regarding Gaza. A large group of civil servants indicated that they had great difficulty with Rutte IV's policy on the war in Gaza, as they said, and urged a different policy. The State Secretary for the Interior also offered them a listening ear. From documents that have been requested with regard to this letter, it appears that it was mainly a group of civil servants at the Ministries of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and Economic Affairs. It is unclear why she and why there.

King explains
Our king's response to these types of emotions was striking and simple. "We have a unique civil service system. The fact that a civil servant is loyal to whoever is the political boss is a fantastic system that I also very much support, but anyone is free to, if that does not suit his or her conscience, to look for another job," he said during a working visit to the US.

The cards seem to have been shuffled for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The Frisian deputy Femke Wiersma (BBB) ​​is a candidate for the former Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Born Amsterdammer Jean Rummenie (also BBB), who was an agricultural councilor somewhere for half his life, has been nominated as State Secretary. There will no longer be a minister for nitrogen. Wiersma will probably include that file. Water quality will be in the hands of Barry Madlener (PVV) as Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Surprise it wasn't
Last week it seemed exciting to see who the BBB would put forward as Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Wiersma's nomination was a surprise to many, because as a representative and IPO director she already has a strong portfolio and there is still a lot of work to be done. Moreover, more suitable candidates seemed to be available. Ultimately, a majority of BBB deputies voted in favor of Wiersma's nomination, it emerged. In retrospect, the choice seems to have been made for her a long time ago.

Short consultation
With the mission that the BBB has set itself, there is more than enough work for the new ministers at LNV. In a manner of speaking, Wiersma can immediately start working on predecessor Piet Adema's latest job. Based on its last powers, it is busy quickly passing through a scheme that will additionally skim off phosphate rights and further increase pressure on the manure market. Because of the hurry he is the mandatory internet consultation (the Arhus Convention requires prior notification of intended environmental measures) but briefly abbreviated. According to him, because there is too little time to complete the new legislation by January 1, 2025. Farmers can respond until Monday.

From a well-worn path
It is just one element of the derogation file that the BBB wants to change. The possibilities seem to exist for this. European Commissioner Sinkevicius also recently indicated this to Caroline van der Plas, who was visiting Brussels. An interesting question is who wants to tell the minister how the road to adjustment is progressing? In recent years, intensive collaboration between the Rutte III and IV cabinets and European politicians has resulted in a trajectory with an accompanying story that has become very ingrained. From nitrate, nitrogen suddenly became the key word that suddenly made everything possible or impossible.

Well-known research stable
Also Christianne van der Wal a one-two punch This week, the RIVM tried to give one last support to the existing policy. According to them, even more measures are needed to protect nature (and limit agriculture). For support, reference is made to: a report from Wageningen ER from 2023 with approximately the same meaning. They are pieces from essentially the same research team, based on the same model realities, with their uncertainties in calculations and assumptions. But perhaps they could not have been expected to produce another (self-)critical study.   

New German start?
The Netherlands is not the only country in the EU where agriculture and rural interests are strongly pushing for a different course. In Germany, for example, since last week's European elections, there has been a push for a new policy start at the Ministry of Agriculture. There, it is not only about the environment, but also about protecting the business position of the farmers.

Coalition TV
The hearings of the candidate ministers for the new Schoof cabinet are expected next week - at least if all candidates have been accepted by the coalition members in time. It promises interesting TV to be made by the House of Representatives. It is not said that everyone will emerge unscathed. Only then can the cabinet go to the king to be installed.