Dutch farmers lose ground as radical centrists enjoy poll surge
THE Dutch farmers’ movement has fallen far behind a new “radical centrist” party, which has surged ahead of this month’s general election.
The Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) achieved a landslide victory in March’s regional elections and was expecting a repeat in the general election on Nov 22, which was triggered when Mark Rutte, the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history, resigned in July.
Instead, Pieter Omtzigt, who is famous for toppling a previous Rutte government, and his New Social Contract (NSC) party – formed just 11 weeks ago – could become the largest party.
The BBB, which was founded in 2019, became the largest party in all 12 Dutch provinces in a regional vote dominated by tractor protests against compulsory farm buyouts to hit EU nitrogen emissions reduction targets. But polls show the BBB is expected to get seven to 11 seats in the Dutch parliament, while Mr Omtzigt, a former member of the centre-Right Christian Democrat Appeal (CDA) party, is predicted to take 25 to 31.
The BBB poached traditionally CDA-voting farmers in the regional elections, which became a referendum on Mr Rutte’s 13 years in office.
But it is now bleeding support to the NSC, which could take an influential role in coalition negotiations after the election, even though Mr Omtzigt says he does not want to be prime minister.
Andre Krouwel, at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, said the three parties share similar socially conservative and Christian Democrat policies.
“Voters in that ideological corner choose the one with the highest polling,” he said. Mr Omtzigt’s anti-establishment rhetoric has also attracted some of the BBB vote.
“The NSC is polling better, so that would allow more chance of your anti-establishment vote translating into real change and power,” Mr Krouwel said.
Mr Rutte is not fighting the election after having formed four coalition governments but his pro-business VVD party is contesting the lead with the NSC.
Now led by Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, the hardline Turkish-born minister of justice, the VVD is predicted to win 26 to 30 seats in an election being fought on migration, Europe and climate.
Frans Timmermans, the leader of the Green-Left coalition and the former European Commission vice-president in charge of climate change, is a distant third. Mr Timmermans, who left Brussels to fight the election, was in charge of the controversial EU nitrogen targets.