In ten days, the red pens will again affect the future of the country. More precisely: the future of the region, because it’s about state elections. However, the involvement of national politicians is notable. This is not surprising, because some of them have big problems to solve in the province. Think: nitrogen, housing and immigration.
And there is another direct interest in Hague politics; The deputies elected on March 15 also elect the Senate. The Senate is an important political factor because the ruling coalition of VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie does not have a majority.
find new friends
If necessary, the new government policy can be passed by the House of Representatives relatively easily. The coalition is in the majority here. In the Senate, the cabinet has to seek other parties for each issue. This has never led to tense situations in recent years – most of which went smoothly – but of course the playing field may look different after the election.
A majority is not expected for the coalition. Therefore, the government may need to make new friends on certain issues. For example, consider the BoerBurger Movement (BBB). This party, possibly even as one of the largest groups, will soon make its Senate debut.
Among other things, the BBB wants to influence nitrogen policy through the Senate. This issue has been on the agenda for years and also during this campaign period. It even (also) tested relations within the coalition.
In the recent nitrogen debate in the House of Representatives, D66 faced off against three other coalition partners who were less in a hurry to reduce nitrogen precipitation. VVD spoke of “hard talk” and a “gray balance sheet”. ChristenUnie noted that the D66 member in question “stuttered,” and the CDA argued that D66 “puts a wrench in the works.”
The fact that these parties are so tough is related to their supporters, some of whom are in this situation. There’s also the hot breath of BBB and JA21, both of whom are looking to soften their nitrogen policy.
Nitrogen isn’t just about the next Senate, it’s also about the county council itself. Because ultimately, with national policy at their disposal, states need to come up with concrete plans to limit their nitrogen emissions.
For example, it is at least unclear whether a state with a BBB as a major power factor will do everything possible to achieve this. At the same time, the question arises to what extent government departments of national coalition parties do this. According to an analysis of statements in Kieskompas, in some states the CDA and VVD want to tell voters (their own parties) that they want to oppose the national nitrogen policy.
Immigration and housing are two other pressing national issues that are largely the responsibility of the state. Where should refugee centers be located? Where will the apartments be? And for whom? These are national issues the state has to deal with. Therefore, it is very important for the cabinet to find “friendly” state officials on its side in these areas as well.
Added to this are the interests of the various parties. BBB was mentioned earlier; Exciting how big they can get for this party. After debuting in the one-seat House of Representatives, March will reveal more about Caroline van der Plas’ party’s electoral potential.
Progressive senate selection for PvdA and GroenLinks is also exciting. The duo will form a faction in the new Senate. If all goes well, the “left cloud” may even be the largest group. Regardless, the left-wing group in the Senate is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to further collaboration. There may be a merger eventually.
There are also a number of parties that are likely to enter the Senate for the first time. JA21 is one of them (now members of this party are already in it under the banner of the Nanninga party). Volt, Denk and BVNL van Wybren van Haga can also participate for the first time. It is not unthinkable that 50Plus would lose its only seat (and thus disappear completely from national politics).
What happened on March 15 affects The Hague and certainly the inner circle of the electorate. All federal states have specific issues that can have a direct impact. Some examples per province:
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.
