A few hours earlier she was still the celebrated woman at the Provinciehuis in Haarlem, but at 7 o’clock in the morning Ingrid de Sain – party leader of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) - is ‘just’ back at the kitchen table. To start the daily routine a little later: feeding calves. Because a resounding election victory or not, the work on the farm in Schellinkhout continues.
Newcomer BBB is the big winner of the Provincial Council elections, also in North Holland. A neck-and-neck race with VVD must determine whether they have actually become the largest party in the province. De Sain’s party ends up with 8 or perhaps 9 seats. In West Friesland, the party is anyway the most popular, according to the results. “Unprecedented. No one could have dreamed this, no one.”
Emotional
At the kitchen table, the realization of the great success slowly sinks in. Based on hundreds of messages she received since the exit polls were announced on Wednesday evening. “What’s that like? Impressive and emotional. This is something,” she says, wiping away a tear. “That so many people voted for us, that touches me.”
The tension of weeks of campaigning and being on the road falls away from her. Cattle farmer René Staal, dairy farmer from Zuidermeer, congratulates her with a cheerful voice message. “Well Ingrid, that will be ‘function elsewhere’ for you. At the Provinciehuis!”
Together with her husband Gerard, Ingrid has a dairy farm with about 100 cows and dairy cattle. Daughter Lise helps two days a week. Should the cows say goodbye to her because of her political career? “In the coming weeks, maybe months it will be very busy to get everything done in Haarlem. Hopefully it will be a bit quieter when the grass has to be cleared, because then I also have my work here. If that doesn’t work, then I have to we hire someone.”
Socially concerned
Ingrid has been socially and politically involved for many years. In this way she made herself strong for Schellinkhout housing for young people and already performed them in 2019 action against nitrogen regulations.
And now on to Haarlem, to the Provinciehuis. A coalition will have to be forged in the near future, together with other parties. After the calves have been fed, another busy day awaits. “Now the big party really starts.”