The party at BBB is probably not over yet, but once the streamers have been cleared, the party will have to get to work.
The new largest party in the Drenthe Provincial Council immediately takes seventeen seats, a flying start the likes of which we have not seen for a long time. Will the BBB be able to live up to the high expectations?
Looking back, new parties that quickly become very large also appear to be vulnerable. Because where do you get suitable people from so quickly in a short time? That is not so easy, says emeritus professor of constitutional law Hans Engels. “You can prepare well, work on the party feeling, but you also meet people who were active in other parties. There are probably job hunters and fortune seekers among them. The BBB has tried to filter them out, but still.”
If the new Members of Parliament have been selected properly, it will remain difficult with so many newcomers. “Public administration is complicated. You cannot go from zero to glory in one go, not even with courses and training.”
In addition, the BBB will tackle complicated subjects, with nitrogen policy at the forefront, says Engels. “As a newcomer, you certainly cannot control everything. The Netherlands is a country where you will have to work with minorities. The files are difficult and polarized. You cannot run the province with a tractor.”
Apart from that, the question is what the province can change about the nitrogen policy that is being made by the government. “You can’t do everything on your own in the field of nitrogen, nature and agriculture. The government also has ways of forcing the provinces to take certain measures. The question is whether the cabinet wants that too, but I’m there Don’t worry about it. There are many snags and it can become a clash of governments that oppose each other.”