Background Nitrogen mood
Wijers stumbles over 'VVD shrew', is Caroline seeing ghosts?
Scout Wouter Koolmees has been quick and creative in his work with the election results. By working with two parties simultaneously as the core team of a new coalition, he hopes to make rapid progress, despite a seemingly limited number of options. The big question remains: will there be a center-left or a center-right cabinet? And will it be a majority government, or will a minority government also be acceptable?
On Thursday, two informateurs were appointed, representing the CDA and D66: Sybrand Buma and Hans Wijers. They were tasked with outlining the possibilities. However, Wijers was dropped a day later after it was leaked that he had called VVD leader Yesilgöz "the shrew of the VVD" in a private message.
'VVD's shrew'
It's not wise to then have to sit down with that person to involve her in a new coalition, something she wasn't particularly keen on anyway. D66 will likely quickly put forward another candidate. Maintaining momentum is helpful. The bottom line is that the VVD probably doesn't have much interest in joining a predominantly left-wing group of parties.
In the debate about the election results On Thursday in the House of Representatives, the various factions attempted to gauge the positions of their potential coalition partners. BBB faction leader Caroline van der Plas wanted to revisit statements made by CDA colleague Henri Bontenbal during the election campaign. Bontenbal had said that he would expropriate farmers if necessary To take steps to address the nitrogen problem. Van der Plas finds this unacceptable.
The suffering of the CDA
She went there with a straight leg and subtly reminded Bontenbal that his party had caused "a great deal of suffering" over the past fifteen years, with the childcare benefits scandal, the handling of gas extraction in Groningen, and the nitrogen problem. The latter referring to the fact that the PAS legislation – which, in its partially abandoned form, still holds the country captive – that that is a brainchild from a CDA member and a PvdA member, or from current LTO chairman Ger Koopmans and Gasunie director Diederik Samson. Van der Plas, however, declined to elaborate. She did wonder, however, whether the CDA wouldn't be better off doing some more self-reflection before it participates in government again and falls back on its old, familiar mistakes. Bontenbal disagreed, saying that the CDA has already done a great deal of self-reflection. Moreover, he suggested that he himself was too young to know the entire CDA history. In short, he suggested that Van der Plas is seeing ghosts.
Bontenbal regrets billions
Van der Plas remained undeterred and was primarily interested in finding out how much Bontenbal actually wants to expropriate if his party is allowed back into government. He didn't receive a direct answer, but the CDA leader did indicate that he is now particularly keen to unravel the nitrogen issue. He also expressed his regret that the Schoof cabinet had dismissed the billions earmarked for this purpose.
Another agricultural policy moment found This took place earlier this week, when Harm Holman, a member of the House of Representatives who has since left, submitted his bill on land-based housing to the House of Representatives. He can no longer take it further himself, as the NSC is no longer in Parliament. Christian Union MP Pieter Grinwis is expected to take on this task.
Rewritten proposal
There's a minor hiccup with this bill. Since its original publication and online consultation, the proposal has been significantly revised. A GVE class has been added, and the distance criterion for transport has been changed from 25 to 50 kilometers. These are indeed not minor issues. According to the official regulations, it must therefore be notified and reviewed again.
FDF lawsuit
Meanwhile, the Famers Defence Force filed a preliminary injunction against the state in Zutphen concerning the legalization of PAS declarants. The FDF hopes this will eventually lead to the legalization of PAS declarants, but many voters—including those in agriculture—do not give the party much of a chance. A ruling is expected in two weeks.
More flexible Belgians
While agricultural and non-agricultural businesses in the Netherlands can no longer obtain any new nature permits, not even for the installation of proven innovations, Belgium, with similar legislation in many respects, is more flexible and creative. There, farmers are allowed to temporarily remove a number of animal spaces (and thus reduce emissions) to install a low-emission system, for example. Afterward, the animal spaces can be used again.
What we don't have in the Netherlands, however, is the Lely Sphere being challenged. In Belgium, the Bond Beter Leefmilieu (Better Environment Association) and the NGO Dryade dispute the Sphere's ammonia-reducing effect. On the other hand, organizations like MOB in the Netherlands don't feel the need to do so, since hardly any permits are issued anyway.
Here's the advice for businesses: don't move! Anyone who moves loses what they have and won't get a new permit, but they will have the environmental militia on their roof.
In Flevoland alone, six dairy farms recently received irrevocable permits. Environmental groups also took legal action against some of them, but with a calculated deposition of well under 0,005 mol, they too could find no argument to further block legalization.
Klaas van der Horst
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