Rutte and Hoekstra: Cabinet crisis not ruled out by nitrogen or asylum | Politics

The two politically sensitive subjects of nitrogen and asylum hold the Netherlands in their grip on the way to the provincial elections next Wednesday. Progress on both files is extremely difficult, but must be made in the coming months. It is remarkable that leaders of two coalition parties openly discuss the possibility of a cabinet crisis.

Rutte spoke out about a possible crisis in WNL on Sunday. He does not assume it in the least, “But you never know for sure.” He referred to his second and third cabinets, which always succeeded. But in his first cabinet with the support of Wilders, it failed. “I didn’t see that coming at all.”

Hoekstra noted Buitenhof that the polarization has been maximum on the nitrogen dossier, where emissions must be reduced by half in 2030. “I think that we should find solutions with support in the Netherlands,” said Hoekstra. “It is not the goal to collapse the cabinet, but it can be the consequence.”

Hoekstra admitted that in the summer of 2022 he had thought about a possible cabinet crisis. That was in the summer that he declared the year 2030 “not sacred”. To reassure Hoekstra added: “You don’t throw in the towel about nitrogen or migration lightly.”

D66 Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag, also a guest in Buitenhof, marked the nitrogen discussion: “We have had a policy of stagnation, will we continue to 2030 or will we let ourselves be held hostage by a policy of stagnation?” of 2025 and 2028 also as an opportunity to accelerate the nitrogen approach in various provinces where things are going difficult.

Another thorny point in the nitrogen discussion is the possible expropriation of farmers by the government, who will then be forced to buy them out. VVD party chairman Sophie Hermans said in Buitenhof that the provinces are not heading for expropriation. But “Ultimately: if you don’t take your responsibility in a national problem, there will be consequences if necessary. That’s not quite there yet.”

CDA leader Hoekstra agreed with her: “The reality is that hardly anyone is bought out in the Netherlands. But none of us 17.5 million is guaranteed that it will never happen.”