This summer the cabinet must increase the tax for wealthy Dutch people, the Netherlands may no longer be the ‘meat factory’ of the world and natural gas from Groningen may not be pumped extra. This was all heard at the highly secured D66 congress in Den Bosch.
D66 party chairman Jan Paternotte said that ‘the reality’ is that in the Netherlands the stables resemble a house of ‘thousands of animals packed together’. “From that very small postage stamp country where we live together, we export more meat than all other countries in the world, except America. The nitrogen emissions here are so high that nature is destroyed and the judge forbids us to build more homes.”
He supports the cabinet policy of VVD minister Christianne van der Wal, who last week unveiled her plans to significantly reduce nitrogen emissions. “Cabinet, carry on. Don’t be paralyzed by simmering provinces! Restore the glory of nature,” he said.
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Paternotte further said that he believes that the ‘misbehavior of threatening farmers’ in the Netherlands ‘should have no place’. He was referring to an interview with the foreman of Farmers Defense Force, who announced that the food supply would be shut down and threatened with new actions at ministers and their families at home. “In our country, the rules of the rule of law apply, not the law of the tractor!” said Paternotte. He also announced that D66 wants the cabinet to significantly increase the taxes for the ‘super rich’ this summer. “So that we can lower the tax for ordinary Dutch people.”
Importance of aid for Ukraine
Party leader and Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag spoke about the importance of support for Ukraine, including with a lot of money and knowledge. “In the Netherlands, our decision to stand up for peace and security affects people financially. Due to the promulgation of sanctions and high energy prices, people feel it in their wallets, in the supermarket and at the gas pump. We, as a country and as a society, want to bear these serious consequences because of the justice of this case,” says Kaag.
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She also wants to ‘be honest’ that this can help troubled households. “We have taken steps to reduce costs this year and will continue to monitor this closely. But I won’t beat around the bush. We cannot compensate for everything for everyone. The fact that we are all getting poorer is the result of circumstances over which we have limited influence.”
According to Kaag, the government can only serve as a ‘shield for the vulnerable’. “For others there will be less protection. That is also a consequence of our straight back. On May 5, we always talk about the price of freedom. This is the price we have to pay.” She also sorts ahead of the decision to collect extra money from the rich. “The ten percent of the wealthiest households owned more than 60 percent of the total wealth on January 1, 2020.”
Threats from politicians
Kaag also expressed her concerns about intimidation, insults and threats against politicians. “We can never accept that,” said Kaag. “The hatred gets even more vicious, even more intense, when it comes to women. It takes on medieval forms.” She hopes that society will ‘wake up’. “Demonization and dehumanization of the other have consequences. You don’t have to be a clairvoyant to fear the consequences. For people who suddenly put their words into action. And then it’s too late,” she warned.
During the congress, in which, among other things, problems in the party itself were discussed and members demanded a new investigation into transgressive behavior in the party, members also discussed the concerns about security of supply. A motion to drill extra gas in Groningen (and to compensate Groningen residents with the proceeds) was voted down en masse.
However, Climate Minister Rob Jetten expressed his concerns about the throttling of gas supplies by Russia. We also said goodbye to a group of veterans, including former ministers Wouter Koolmees, Ingrid van Engelshoven and former state secretary Menno Snel.