A senior Dutch minister told his fellow European politicians that public support for climate policy in the region is low, as demonstrated by the ongoing conflict between farmers and government over Dutch greenhouse gas limits. I warned you that it was weakening.
Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag, who also serves as finance minister, told the Financial Times that the challenges facing her government were becoming increasingly difficult. political turmoil in the Dutch Senate elections.
Kaag, who heads the liberal D66 party, one of the government’s four parties, said, “We need to generate that level of support, to attract and inspire people.” , NetherlandsIronically, you’re more conservative than you think. ”
The Netherlands, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, is trying to reduce its nitrogen emissions. greenhouse gas, by reducing herds or persuading farmers to leave the industry. The country has the highest livestock density in the EU with over 11 million pigs.
The winner of the local elections was the emerging populist BBB (Peasant Bloc), which capitalized on anger over the government’s push to halve nitrogen emissions by 2030. now wants to renegotiate some of the coalition agreements related to nitrogen targets.
Kaag said when asked whether, as leader of D66, she believed the coalition would survive the current crisis, it was an “impossible question”. I was interested in hearing any proposals that would lead to a “reliable reduction” of the GDP, enable a vibrant economy and enable farmers to earn sustainable livelihoods.
“We have come to a point where the Dutch have had to deal with decades of failure to address this issue. [of nitrogen]Either it was a sensitive issue or it was underestimated as an issue,” she said. “I’m back in my roost now.”
Kaag, whose party is known to support the nitrogen reduction agenda, has denied that her party has been in contact with voters.
“I would say far from it,” she said in an interview in The Hague. It’s not limited to Holland. [something] Many liberal democracies are facing
The turmoil in The Hague comes at a time when other parts of Europe’s environmental program are being watered down amid political tensions in other capitals. A long-term plan to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles in the EU from 2035 was agreed last month after Germany and its allies won exemptions for cars using carbon-neutral electronic fuels.
Kaag noted that it is generally difficult to connect with a segment of voters who have opted out, feel isolated, or believe politics can no longer serve their needs. bottom.
Established political parties have faced “a certain amount of resentment, resistance to proposed actions that we believe are in the national interest and transgenerational, but are poorly communicated.” There is,” she claimed. [or] It is not well understood and we are in a time of great anxiety and uncertainty. ”
Part of the response, she added, included helping households who couldn’t afford the policies necessary to make the green transition, such as improving the insulation of their homes and installing solar panels. The government, she said, has a “duty of care” to those struggling to bear the burden of policies that come with the transition.
But she argued that addressing the nitrogen problem was not a matter of party politics, but a scientific necessity. .”
