Members of parliament from coalition parties had an intense morning on Thursday. Early in the morning, bailiffs showed up on their doorstep on behalf of the radical farmers’ group Farmer’s Defense Force (FDF). In a registered letter, which is in the hands of Omroep Brabant, the members of Parliament are accused of being complicit in a criminal offense if they agree to new agricultural plans from the province.
“It is intimidating,” says D66 faction leader Matthijs van Miltenburg. He also had a bailiff on his doorstep on Thursday morning. “By the way, he said himself that what is in the letter is complete nonsense.” Yet the D66 leader is not happy: “It is bizarre that politicians have to deal with this.”
The Provincial Council will vote on new agricultural plans on Friday. Farmers, including the FDF, are against those plans. Last month they demonstrated at the provincial government building in Den Bosch and hundreds of farmers are also expected on Friday.
An extra meeting for faction leaders has been scheduled for Thursday evening. Behind closed doors they discuss how to deal with this action. Van Miltenburg hopes that the States will form a united front. “I hope everyone strongly disapproves of this and that we can come up with a joint statement.”