‘Pure intimidation’, ‘cowardly’ and ‘bizarre’, these were the reactions in the provincial government building in Den Bosch on Thursday evening. During the day, members of parliament from coalition parties received bailiffs on their doorstep, with a letter from radical farmers’ group Farmer’s Defense Force containing a threatening call not to agree to new agricultural plans from the province. “It is a legal nonsense intended purely as intimidation.”
On Friday, the Provincial Council will vote on nitrogen measures for the province. These concern making outdated stables more sustainable and adjusting the tax on large groundwater extractions. Farmers are against the plans and have been saying so for some time.
Jade van der Linden of GroenLinks was the first member of Parliament to arrive early on Thursday morning. “At ten to eight there was a bailiff at the door,” says Van der Linden. “It really took me by surprise.” She describes the action as intimidating. “That’s just it. You don’t come home to politicians. Moreover, it really doesn’t make me vote against the plans now. It’s just cowardly.”
PvdA faction leader Ward Deckers was not at home, but a bailiff also visited on Thursday. “It really crosses the line that you visit people at home. It is a legal nonsense intended purely as intimidation.”
Deckers believes that peace must be preserved, but also that the Provincial Council must collectively draw a line. “We have to say with all parties: ‘you stay away from politicians at home’. Period.”
His colleague from D66 Matthijs van Miltenburg is also angry. “I have a thick skin because I have quite a bit of experience and have therefore been through something, but this will not go unnoticed, especially the younger members of Parliament,” he says. “I’m getting angrier about that.”
Deckers experiences that too. “As group leader, I feel responsible for my group members. It happens to them too.”
The Provincial Council will be working on a joint statement on Thursday evening. The intention is for the statement to be released on Friday morning.