There is great distrust in Overijssel’s cabinet handling of nitrogen. The vote of Overijssel residents in the upcoming provincial elections will essentially be a protest vote against the cabinet. Residents of Overijssel believe that politicians are paying more attention to Randstad than to rural areas.
For Nieuwsuur, Ipsos measured the mood in Overijssel ahead of the March 15 elections. BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) seems to capitalize on the public debate surrounding nitrogen. The BBB’s electoral potential in Overijssel is one and a half times the national average. Also, according to research by Ipsos, BBB is even more attractive in rural areas of the province.
“Sour as Vinegar”
Carla Evers, leader of the BBB party in Overijssel, is already ready and warming up during an “internship” at Provinciehuis. She and her husband have run a poultry and agricultural farm right next to a Natura 2000 site for years. She thinks the nitrogen problem is exaggerated. “I don’t understand how things can go wrong in nature,” she says. “We want to show what nature really is like.”
Michael Sijbom, director of the “Landscape Overijssel” provincial organization, measures the state of nature in the state. “The soil here is as acidic as vinegar. Because of the precipitation of ammonia, that is nitrogen.” As a result, Sijbom says, huge amounts of biodiversity have been destroyed. “It has become one culture. Plants disappeared, and with them, bird species. Because there is no food left. An endless shame. This can really upset me.”
Precautions are necessary, says ‘Landschap Overijssel’. But the state’s largest party, the CDA, opposes the forced buyout of farmers who emit too much nitrogen and question government policy. “People are demanding a completely different income model and a completely different approach to rural areas. The processes required for this are extensive and time consuming,” said Eddy van Hijum, CDA Vice President. “If you start now, you’re not just finished. Not in 2030, maybe not in 2035, we have to pay attention to feasibility and speed.”
The CDA may have been the biggest party in Overijssel for years, but now BBB election posters are everywhere. Especially people living in rural areas, 74 percent of those surveyed think that things are not going well in the Netherlands. Also, almost half of the population of Overijssel, or 45 percent, think that Rutte IV’s cabinet is not doing enough for their province.
Van Hijum: “There is a saying here: The road from The Hague to Overijssel is twice as long as the road from Overijssel to The Hague. People think that The Hague is not paying enough attention to this area administratively and administratively.”
Cattle breeder Geertjan Kloosterboer expresses this sentiment. He thought he was preparing his new barn for the future. “I scored all the goals. But that is no longer the case. They change the rules during the game. It really hurts.”
No more surprises
For one in six residents of Overijssel, nitrogen is one of the most important issues in voting decisions. This rate is higher in rural areas (26 percent). 26 percent of all respondents in Overijssel also named “climate and sustainability” as the political issue driving their vote.
According to cattle breeder Kloosterboer, if the BBB becomes the largest lot in Overijssel, that would be a good sign. “The feeling of not being heard would be validated. This makes it clear that we want to take a different path.” But he no longer wants to leave it unclear what will happen to his nitrogen plans. “We have to get this done together: What is possible and how do we do it?”
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
