To his great surprise, John Frenken is allowed to lead the BoerenBurgerBeweging (BBB) on the way to the elections of the Provincial Council in March. The former alderman of the municipality of Son en Breugel was asked by the board of the political party and he immediately agreed. “The party is doing well.”
“You have to think in advance and so I also gave my thoughts on it in case I became the party leader. I would be fine with it and I will gladly put my shoulders to the wheel”, says Frenken, who formally has to keep a lid on the arm. The members will make a final decision in November.
Getting to know each other better
Frenken’s nomination does not come out of the blue. He has been politically active in the municipality of Son en Breugel for more than twelve years, of which two and a half periods as alderman for Village Vision. Moreover, he has been quietly preparing for over a year. With about thirty other potential States members. They have met several times already, for workshops, courses and discussions. But above all to get to know each other better, in all kinds of areas.
“During one of those sessions, everyone was asked who the intended party leader for Brabant should be. The board collected those responses and then approached me. I was positively surprised”, says Frenken, who was not chosen because of an agricultural background.
“I am the citizen among the peasants.”
“I have sometimes joked: I am the citizen among the farmers. Indirectly, through my position as alderman, I had a lot to do with the countryside, through conversations about the transition of the countryside, and that is how I came into contact with the BBB.” And so also with the face of the party, Caroline van der Plas. Frenken: “Unbelievable, what a busy bee. I really have a lot of respect for her.”
The BBB has the ambition to conquer the province after The Hague. “We also want to tell the honest story in Brabant. And we think it is very important that the deadline of 2024, if the farmers in our province have to comply with the latest environmental requirements, is removed. Why should stricter rules apply in Brabant?”
“Use our common sense in all areas.”
“Obviously we have more arrows to the bow: more houses for young people as soon as possible. And the return of care homes. These were cut back years ago, which must be restored. It is our parents who are affected by this. The BoerenBurgerBeweging may have an agricultural origin, but I think it is important that we use our common sense in all areas.”
Frenken will gladly take up the barricades for it. He said goodbye to local politics this summer, but the black hole is still far away from him. He quietly tries with a group of BBB’ers to lay a solid foundation for the election program, the elections and then, if the omens do not deceive, the entrance to the provincial government.
Frenken has no doubts: “We will win at least ten seats. That’s what we’re going for,” he says with a laugh, but not like a farmer with a toothache. He’s serious.