According to political journalist Sophie van Leeuwen, the House was indeed misinformed. “At the end of last year, Adema said there were no big concerns about the manure policy and Brussels’ request to stop the derogation regime immediately,” she says. “But those worries were real. This was stated in a letter from the European Commission dated 19 December’.
However, on December 20, Adema denied the issue in a debate with the House of Representatives. “But she now admits it wasn’t correct,” Van Leeuwen continues. “But she didn’t, and that’s a problem.”
Year without complaints
Van Leeuwen thinks the misconception also lies in the fact that Adema thought he had another year to enter the rules, while the European Commission actually said it wasn’t allowed. “In fact, it promises a deferment for Dutch farmers,” he continues. «But with this he answers the question of the Chamber. They asked for more time – there was even a motion – to gradually eliminate the derogation.’
But, says Van Leeuwen, there has been a bombshell under the policy since September of last year. “This needed to be done faster, and now Adema is writing to the House of Representatives that she was unaware of it,” he says. «In the letter to the House of Representatives you say you know nothing of the letter from the European Commission and that you assume that the talks with Brussels were still ongoing. And in this way he gives the peasants false hope, because there is no delay. So it’s the beginning of even more anger and unrest in the industry.’
Mortal political sin
It is not the first time that a Hague minister has used the excuse of not knowing something, but according to Van Leeuwen it remains to be seen whether this is a mortal political sin. “That depends on the House, which will debate the issue tomorrow,” he says. But it could very well be a rookie mistake. Adema has just arrived and says he has never seen the letter. Maybe she should have known, but maybe she really didn’t know.’
It will still be difficult for him, Van Leeuwen thinks, but she will not accuse him of malicious intent. “It’s also a bit of an example of what you see very often in The Hague: keeping things going, especially when it comes to the agricultural sector,” she says. “Maybe he mouthed the peasants too much because he’d just arrived. He is also working on an agricultural deal in the nitrogen crisis. So he was looking for credits. I won’t accuse him of anything, but you can rest assured that he will be nominated tomorrow during the debate, where Adema will have a very difficult time.’