Background Nitrogen mood
When Rob and Henri wrestle, the provinces dance
While Henri and Rob were happily wrestling with each other this week, and the caretaker ministers of the Schoof cabinet were trying to fill their final hours, the provinces suddenly showed great decisiveness. The provinces of Utrecht, North Brabant, and South Holland unveiled their own further plans for rural development.
Utrecht deputy Mirjam Sterk issued a press release full of rather bombastic language about unlocking the Utrecht countrysideSomething similar had already happened in Brabant. The provinces were supposed to demonstrate their capabilities in what the national government couldn't. They promised new dynamism and permit-free activities. While the Provincial Councils of the provinces involved still have to weigh in on the plans, who will stop them, or better yet, protect them from overconfidence? In The Hague, you always have the advisory division of the Council of State, which issues (often ignored) recommendations.
Arguing is pointless
The provinces lack this wealth. The province of Utrecht, in its haste, has told thirteen farming families they can already turn off their lights, and to prevent grumbling, protests, or other undesirable behavior, all law enforcement and emergency services have also been put on standby. The province wants to make it clear in advance that protests won't help. Everything has been considered.
Deputy Strong Harvest on her LinkedIn page Her plans have already received plenty of praise – albeit mainly from policy officers, advisors who earn their living by assisting provincial politicians, and nature lobbyists.
Banking conscience and the ombudsman
But has everything been considered, and with the right approach? The otherwise calm and quiet Dutch Banking Association sees it differently. a letter The province of North Brabant, which also applies to Utrecht, is warned in friendly but clear terms against making any legal slip-ups. "We have serious reservations about the legal viability of (your) new policy proposal," writes director Gert Jan Duitman. He also points out that it's unwise to implement all sorts of provincial policies where a national approach is required, partly to combat fragmentation and chaos. Who would have thought: the banks as the constitutional conscience?
The province of Utrecht could also have taken the words of the National Ombudsman into account in its bulldozer approach Reinier van ZutphenShe is deeply concerned about the way the government is treating farmers. His message applies to all administrators and politicians, and Sterk, given her background and education, would certainly be wise to take it to heart.
Brabant protest
While the province says Utrecht farmers shouldn't even consider protesting, things are a bit different in Brabant. Whether that helps or not, farmers there will to the provincial government building to express their dissatisfaction with the policy implemented in this province. FDF leader Mark van den Oever rolls among the Christmas tree clearing also with the musclesAccording to him, the policy is increasingly moving in the wrong direction.
The organization is already irritated. This week she bit the dust in the appeal regarding seven PAS reporters, because the court in Arnhem rejected an attempt to exclude MOB from the dispute. This may not have been surprising, but it still felt like a significant setback, as the FDF had initially been proven right.
Land-based and missing calculations
There is also discontent in Brabant (and other sandy regions) about the land-based agriculture bill proposed by Harm Holman and Pieter Grinwis, which will be considered by Parliament early next year. This is a widespread issue in the agricultural sector there. Accountancy firm Flynth, Schuttelaar and Partners, as well as Wageningen University & Research (WUR), have looked at it, but not a thorough analysis that clearly considers the regional consequences. Furthermore, there is criticism that the draft law is fundamentally unbalanced, especially because it grants more rights to farmers in the Northern Netherlands than to those in the Southern Netherlands.
Uneven manure
Manure from the north is allowed to flow to the south (partly because there's more processing capacity there), but the reverse is not permitted, according to the proposal. This ignores the fact that southern manure consists of 60% pig and chicken manure, with a completely different composition. Moreover, southern cattle manure is also different, containing more components from corn, which, as feed, has produced less methane emissions (hence a lower carbon footprint). There are more objections. Whether all this will help the political world view the proposal more nuanced remains to be seen.
D66 is looking for BBB
Since the November elections, the House of Representatives has had a different, yet still not fully developed (agricultural) profile. Moreover, the profile is also shifting in the Senate, but there primarily due to senatorial transfers. This week, the second BBB member announced his transfer to the D66 party. This has increased the D66 party's seat from 5 to 7, while the BBB party has dropped from 16 to 12 seats (more senators have resigned).
Positive agenda
Such moves are also quietly giving the struggling party leaders in the House of Representatives more room to maneuver. A coalition of just D66 and CDA is too narrow a basis for even a minority government, but with the VVD, for example, acting as a driving force, speculation in The Hague suggests a solid foundation could emerge for a stronger minority coalition. A majority coalition is currently considered unlikely. A "positive agenda" from Jetten and Bontenbal is expected next week. If Yesilgöz is willing to join in, a new cabinet may be closer than many had anticipated.
Klaas van der Horst
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