He explains that people would like to have more land ties. “You need land for that,” says the chairman. “If more land is needed for nature and infrastructure, the problem will arise somewhere.”
Enting: “This is a plan with an impact for the next ten to twenty years. Then the young generation of farmers will be fully in charge. They have to pay attention to that, and it seems as if they do.”
Eric van Oosterhout, mayor of Emmen, is happy that the new cabinet wants to maintain the dispersal law. This law should ensure that asylum seekers are received throughout the country, thus reducing the pressure from Ter Apel. “And what has now been added are all kinds of measures to reduce the nuisance. For example, trying to prevent nuisance-causing asylum seekers from entering at the borders. This government says it will really work on it.”
He is mainly concerned with two measures: spreading nuisance asylum seekers throughout the Netherlands and ensuring that people who really cause nuisance are removed from a center and are received in a separate place. “The most important thing is a statement by the director of the COA, in line with the cabinet plans: they will try to severely reduce nuisance asylum seekers in the Westerwolde and Emmen region before March 1. I will hold them to that. That is in line with the Distribution Act. Then all other municipalities will also receive a share of that. Then it won’t be too bad.”
The municipalities, just like the young farmers, see starting points. “The general tone of the Association of Dutch Municipalities is that this is a constructive piece. We are not immediately cheering, but in general terms we are.” Two points that Van Oosterhout is particularly critical of are that there will be no extra money for the municipal fund and youth care. “There are no cuts to the municipal fund. But as municipalities we are still underwater for 2 billion. And a very important other point is youth care. That is still written somewhat loosely. That is a major concern both substantively and financially.”
Agnes Mulder, the king’s commissioner in Drenthe, states that ‘Drenthe can always be more visible’. Our province is literally included in the coalition agreement for once, to relax the settlement of claims due to earthquake damage. “We all have to make sure that we are more visible,” she says. “There is a great task for us. There are hooks in the coalition agreement. It is quite abstract, which allows us to have a good conversation with The Hague.”
For example, she is pleased that the new cabinet considers ‘campus formation’ important. “What do we do on such a campus? Ensure that innovation takes place, for example for our industry in Emmen. Those campuses also help the students of today and tomorrow to come up with solutions for the future. That is very important for our area.”
