A pro-farming political party, BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), is on the march to the Dutch senate after a “historic” win in the country’s provincial elections.
The BBB, describes itself as the “voice of and for the countryside”. It is set to become a major power player in Dutch politics after a surprise win in elections as voters delivered a strong message to the current coalition government about its environmental policies.
The BBB ran a significant campaign opposing the Dutch coalition government’s strategy to encourage farmers to reduce their livestock herds and against the government’s plan to pay farmers to leave farming or diversify and cut nitrogen-based emissions.
A proposed nitrogen law -which sets out the government’s plan to reduce emissions, chiefly nitrogen oxide and ammonia by 50% by 2030 – is currently passing through the senate.
Christianne van der Wal-Zeggelink, the current minister for nature and nitrogen policy, has repeatedly told Dutch farmers that they should be prepared to reduce their emissions.
The response has been a series of farmer-led protests with slurry deposited at Christianne van der Wal-Zeggelink’s home.
The BBB strongly oppose the nitrogen law and have said they are standing up for farmers who they say are “under fire”.
The party has also warned that people in the Netherlands “are increasingly removed from the production of food”.
“The time when every inhabitant of the Netherlands had a farmer’s connection is far behind us,” BBB has said.
According to the party one of its key objectives is to ensure “justice to the great economic value of the agricultural sector” and ensure a “vital and liveable countryside for all Dutch people”.
The leader of BBB, Caroline van der Plas, has described the election results as “bizarre and unbelievable” and a “historic day”.
The BBB leader, a former agri-journalist whose Irish born mother was a councillor for the Christian Democrat party, has said the party can now directly influence laws and regulations.