Farmers’ party holds on in Dutch election after brief spell in government

The Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) is projected to fall from seven to four seats in the Dutch national parliament, a setback after its brief spell in a coalition government that collapsed under far-right leader Geert Wilders.

“The BBB is an established force in Dutch politics. Disappointments are part of life,” said party leader Caroline van der Plas as early results emerged on Wednesday night.

Vote counting continued on Thursday, with Wilders’ PVV and the liberal D66 in a nail-biting race to become the largest party in The Hague.

From protest to power

Founded in 2019 amid mass farmer protests against government plans to curb agricultural emissions, the right-wing BBB secured its first parliamentary seat in 2021.

With its populist rhetoric – vowing to fight “climate hysteria”, the spread of wolves, and other issues driving citizens “mad” – the party shocked the establishment by winning 13 out of 75 seats in the senate, becoming the chamber’s second-largest group.

It also leapt from one to seven seats in the national parliament that same year, earning a spot in the short-lived, right-wing coalition that broke down this summer.

“We were the smallest party in the coalition, a new party that took responsibility very early,” said van der Plas. “They sometimes say ‘to govern is to halve’, but we are proud.”

Nitrogen deadlock

The BBB inherited one of the Netherlands’ toughest challenges: reducing nitrogen pollution. Emissions — mostly from agriculture — have paralysed building and farming permits, leaving the country’s economy locked down.

On top of that, the European Commission has expressed growing disappointment with The Hague’s failure to make progress on poor water quality.

The party made the issue a core part of its identity. At home, the BBB agriculture minister Femke Wiersma defied court rulings and sought to relax environmental rules for farmers. In Brussels, where the party has two MEPs, she lobbied hard for more lenient EU legislation.

Still, many of her domestic plans stalled, and the coalition ultimately collapsed over migration policy – a hotter campaign issue than agriculture in Wednesday’s election.

What’s next for farmers?

One of the BBB’s key pledges in government was to shut the door on forced livestock cuts proposed by the previous cabinet to reduce excess manure and curb emissions. Instead, it kept voluntary buy-out schemes for livestock farmers, which have been around since 1999.

Despite the billions spent, experts have questioned the effectiveness of the measures, the Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad recently reported.

Some argued that the most economically viable farms were unlikely to take part, and that failing to target the biggest polluters made the buy-outs a scattergun approach

The centrist coalition now expected to form – likely including D66, the liberal VVD, the Christian-democrat CDA, and possibly the Greens – could revive mandatory farm closures.

“If they are necessary to achieve regional [environmental] targets, buyouts remain an option,” reads D66’s election manifesto. The CDA has not ruled them out either, sparking anger within the BBB.

While D66 avoided explicitly mentioning compulsory buyouts, its programme calls for “choices that lead to substantial nitrogen emission reductions.”

(adm, aw)