Are there hunters in the room? Rik Loeters, just elected as Gelderland party leader of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) in the Provincial Council elections, wants to talk about the wolf on stage. “I want to see the hands of the hunters,” he says with a bouquet in his hand during the general members’ meeting in Nijkerk on Saturday.
A dozen hands go up in the air in the main hall of the convention center. “Great,” says Loeters. „For as soon as a wolf becomes a farm animal [vee, red.] attacks, we believe appropriate measures may be taken, and we desperately need you for that.”
Loud applause and cheering in Nijkerk.
Two years ago, the BBB was also at this location, as a new political party with 26 candidates for the elections to the House of Representatives, says Caroline van der Plas of the one-person faction. Now there are about 350 members in two rooms and 150 members are watching from home.
The ten thousandth member has just signed up, and that is also Marnix Knetemann, former participant of the well-known TV program farmer seeks wife. That will probably not be a coincidence for conspiracy theorists, says Van der Plas.
Read the report: What did Caroline van der Plas’ debut in The Hague look like? ‘I thought: Oh, Caroline, learn something about polity‘
Both sober and populist
The rural BBB party is fast becoming a significant political force: often right, sometimes left, both sober and populist. The growth of the party is due to “undesirable circumstances”, as party chairman Erik Stegink, pig farmer in Overijssel, calls it. The nitrogen problem, he means, but also the gas drama in Groningen, the allowance affair, the Hedwigepolder in Zeeland, which has been under water since last month. “All those dissatisfied people come to us,” says Stegink.
Eight men and four women will be on the podium in Nijkerk on Saturday who must guide BBB to the next phase: the fresh list leaders for the Provincial Council elections in March. Already a year ago, the party started screening about 300 candidates for the electoral lists, to prevent an implosion, such as with Forum for Democracy or the LPF.
Like many newcomers, the BBB focuses on established politics and government, as is evident from the thanks from the party leaders. “We need a different government, because the government is there for the citizen and not the other way around,” says Carla Evers from Overijssel. The Zeeland party leader Kees Hanse: “We are no longer going to give back land to the sea. We are going to keep the country dry.” Rik Loeters from Gelderland wants to combat the plans for windmills. “Bitters,” he calls them. “Then we prefer one or two small nuclear power plants,” he says.
Even the big cities
To reach the dispersed voters in rural areas, the BBB will campaign with provincial teams and online, says campaign manager Henk Vermeer. This time the party also wants to try to reach voters in the Randstad; Due to a lack of money, the BBB invested “zero euros” in major cities in the parliamentary elections last year, he says.
In total, Vermeer hopes to be able to invest “5 tons to one million euros” in the Provincial Council campaign – compared to “70,000 euros” in the elections to the House of Representatives in 2021. all inclusive“, he says. “Because we are seriously taking into account new parliamentary elections next year.” In other words: if the Rutte IV cabinet falls, there must be money in the party coffers.
Every campaign manager wants that much money, but it will depend on, among other things, donations, party chairman Stegink responds. It was explained at the members’ meeting that the party will not accept more than 50,000 euros per donor, says Vermeer. “That means that if someone wants to give us a million euros, he can keep 950,000 euros.”
The BBB regularly has to defend itself against the suspicion of being financed by the large industry of the agricultural sector – which the party contradicts. What does the party do if a large number of companies in the chain are willing to donate a substantial amount? Vermeer: ”Then they must be unconditional gifts, which are nothing in return.” The BBB has already discussed this with two companies in the chain, he says.
‘Trouble Wolves’
During the drink, the Gelderland party leader Rik Loeters asks Caroline van der Plas if he didn’t come across a bit fierce with that wolf and those hunters. After all, the wolf is a protected species; ‘problem wolves’ can be an exception to this.
Read the report: Out and about with Caroline van der Plas: ‘Farmers have not yet given up hope’
It was a strong remark, Van der Plas agrees. “I don’t think you should just shoot a wolf,” she says. “I’m not anti-wolf.” But we have to wait until the first human, possibly a child, is attacked, she says. And what do we think as a society?
The BBB does not want to appear fierce, but “authentic” and professional”, according to the core values that were also discussed in Nijkerk. “Just act, be positive” and “no splashes”: that’s Brabant for “no haircuts”, Van der Plas tweeted. At the top of the list isnoabership”: solidarity in his countryside.
BBB member Heleen Zijlstra, former dairy farmer, is a fan of Van der Plas. “What I hear from many people: if Caroline says something, I suddenly understand. And if you ask Caroline something, you just get an answer. No woolly stories, in which there is actually no answer. Politicians in The Hague should take an example from that.”