Rutte IV has been saved for the time being, but the four coalition parties are still putting off difficult decisions about the sensitive nitrogen policy. That was the outcome of days of consultations in a crisis atmosphere between the top of VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie at the Ministry of General Affairs on Friday.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD) announced that the CDA wants to renegotiate the agreements on nitrogen in the coalition agreement, but that the party only wants to do this in a few months. CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra said that renegotiation would then be necessary because the pressure on the year 2030, the deadline for halving nitrogen emissions, “has pushed the solution further away. 2030 is not feasible for us.” Rutte is open to the CDA’s request, he said. “If a coalition party wants to, that is always possible. There are no guarantees that you will get there.”
Concept
The ChristenUnie and D66 expressed understanding for the CDA’s question on Friday evening. “If a party asks for it, that is up to them. We are not obliged to do so, but it can also happen to us,” said D66 leader Sigrid Kaag. “I understand their position.” She emphasized that “no agreement” has been made to negotiate. It is their right to ask for it. We are taking it for granted at this time.” It is therefore still uncertain whether the new negotiations will actually take place.
With Friday’s agreements, which are a response to the results of the Provincial Council elections and the big victory of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), the coalition seems mainly to want to buy time. According to the CDA, it is logical to first wait to see how the formations of the colleges in the provinces, where the nitrogen policy must be implemented, will go. The formation process only started this week and could take weeks or months. Negotiations on the Agricultural Agreement are also in full swing, which should give farmers perspective for the future.
Although Rutte did not want to speak of a “pause” in nitrogen policy, the strategy to gain time can work in favor of the CDA. BBB has the initiative in many provinces and that party does not want the deadline for halving nitrogen emissions, an agreement in the coalition agreement, to be brought forward to 2030. The current law states 2035. Hoekstra believes that the cabinet is “pragmatic” deal with the years.
The CDA has been hoping for some time that provinces, which are negotiating agreements, will make plans aimed at 2035. Then the cabinet can be presented with a fait accompli.
Rutte denied that the nitrogen policy will be delayed with the new agreements. On the contrary, he wants to ‘accelerate’, for example by soon opening up the buy-out scheme with which farmers can voluntarily stop. According to Rutte, despite the formations, the July 1 deadline that provinces have to come up with preliminary plans for reducing emissions is still standing. Rutte said that the VVD finds the discussion about dates “less interesting”. “Just start now.”
The government also intends to make vigorous efforts to recover from the Supplements scandal and the aftermath of gas extraction in Groningen. “Too many people experience that politics is no longer there for them,” said Rutte. The prime minister did not clarify how the cabinet intends to improve the approach to these issues in concrete terms.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of April 1, 2023