Tuesday, 11 April 2023 14:59

Farmer power!

Written by The Hound

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OPINION: Your old mate notes that the Dutch Pro-Farmer Party recently swept the elections in the country, very much upsetting the status quo.

The surprise victory is widely seen as a protest vote against Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government and some of his policies, including a goal to slash nitrogen emissions.

The Farmer Citizen Movement - known by its Dutch acronym BBB - won 15 seats in the 75-seat upper house of the Dutch national parliament, level with the bloc formed by left-of-centre Labour and Green parties.

This will now compound problems for Rutte in his attempts to drastically slash pollution from the country's agriculture, industry and transport sectors to protect vulnerable natural habitats.

The BBB's electoral success underscore a deep-rooted resentment of mainstream politics in The Netherlands that spreads far beyond the party's farming power base.

Perhaps NZ politicians should take note!

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