The Dutch press revealed documents showing that the EU Commission applied backroom pressure on the Dutch government to issue mandatory purchase orders to farmers, to advance the country’s controversial nitrogen policy.
According to the documents seen by journalists, senior European Commission official Diederik Samson advised the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture to prioritise forced buyouts of farms to break the backs of protestors in November 2022.
The Netherlands has seen a grassroots backlash against plans to slash the nation’s agricultural industry under the guise of environmentalism, culminating in a major electoral victory for the Dutch farmer’s movement (BBB) this month. The Dutch government had hoped to reduce nitrogen emissions using a voluntary scheme to get farmers to stop farming.
Samson advised the Commission towards forced buyouts on farmers and away from planned voluntary buyouts, which would not be sufficient to solve the crisis. He described how the EU was demanding that the Netherlands make good on its nitrogen promises, mentioning how there was no room for flexibility on nitrogen cuts from Brussels.
When the media accused Samson of influencing Dutch policy, he stated that he was only reminding the government of the Commission’s point of view. Samson previously served as the former leader of the Dutch Labour Party and is a green energy CEO.
Speaking to The European Conservative, Dutch journalist Eva Vlaardingerbroek described the actions of the European Commission as wrong, adding that she was not surprised that the Commission would lobby the Dutch government on internal policy. The severity of the interference, she noted, was exacerbated by the Commission’s famous lack of democratic legitimacy. Regarding the future course of Dutch politics, Vlaardingerbroek believes that the BBB can potentially unsettle the Hague’s status quo, especially if it helps force a snap election.
The BBB’s win looks set to transform Dutch politics as a parallel party emerged in Flanders. The BBB is expected to further clash with Brussels as it continues the fight against emission cuts, with EU climate chief Frans Timmermans offering to negotiate with the party’s leadership.
