Background nitrogen mood
Almost goodbye Schoof, but reality plagues succession
If it were up to the outgoing Schoof cabinet, a new cabinet would likely be formed as soon as possible, in whatever form. The old team still dragged itself to its weekly meeting with more or less regularity, but the ministers and state secretaries are no longer able to make much of a difference. Sometimes there's no other option. Sometimes there is.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary leaders of D66, CDA, and VVD are steadily working on a new coalition. Although they almost certainly won't succeed in forming a majority government, they continue to exude optimism. This week, however, there was another strange moment, one that brought back memories of early December of last year. At that time, despite all the positivity displayed at the time, informateur Buma saw no way to move forward in the ongoing process. Fine words, but who was fooling who?
Reality check
This week, there was another one of those moments. The three parties forming the coalition government were through a series of talks under a new informateur, but suddenly, external ministers seemed welcome to help them move forward. What was going on now? Keeping up appearances Or perhaps in need of a reality check every now and then? Formations often run incoherently, but can still be successful.
Additionality
Meanwhile, Minister Wiersma isn't completely inactive. This week, through her officials, she did provide a little more clarity on the nitrogen issue. In response to questions from SGP Member of Parliament André Flach, she provided a little more clarification on the complex issue of the additionality in the nature and nitrogen dossier. This shows that the Dutch interpretation does not always have to coincide with the European one and that there may therefore be some room for manoeuvre. Further explanation was also given about the possibilities of internal balancing, although this was packaged in a letter intended for municipalities. She also approved of officials from several scientific organizations under the auspices of LVVN providing explanations to the House of Representatives (but how could she refuse?).
Weather report in la
What she neglected to do was inform Parliament about a study by the Committee of Experts on Fertilizer Policy (CDM) on vulnerable zones around nature reserves. This is perhaps a bit odd, because why commission such a study but then not publish it? It bears a resemblance to the course of events surrounding Professor Ronald Meester's report on model science and nature policy. Does Wiersma have anything to gain or lose from this, or is something else at play?
These are all matters that even a caretaker minister could resolve in a single morning. There's not much left to do. Plenty of time, then, to fill the remaining seats on the House of Representatives, which has also been in place since the elections at the end of last year. The Hague remains, and the ministry seems to be truly coming to an end – Jetten, Bontenbal, and Yesilgöz willingly agree.
Klaas van der Horst
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