According to De Vries, the cabinet now has a number of options. The first option is to continue with what they were already doing, because it concerned the provincial council elections. “But it is quite clear that people are not satisfied with the government’s policy,” says the public administration professor. ‘Another option is to switch and change current affairs in the meantime, then you can continue.’ The third option is that a cabinet crisis is imminent, resulting in the downfall of the cabinet.
To avoid this, De Vries thinks it would be better to opt for option two: break the coalition agreement. But D66 is not thrilled about this. One of the burning issues is the nitrogen issue and D66 sticks to the year 2030. The BBB, on the other hand, wants those plans off the table. According to De Vries, this point of view can no longer be ignored due to that party’s huge profit in the elections.
Refrigerator policy
According to the public administration professor, it would still be better to create a single ministry of agriculture. ‘You now have both the nitrogen minister and the agriculture minister, so the tension is rooted in compromise. One minister has to formulate a vision and the other has to make tough decisions,’ explains De Vries.
“In this situation it is more difficult to conduct such a ‘refrigerator policy'”
But the nitrogen dossier is not the only point of division within the cabinet. For example, there are other headaches such as migration and housing shortages that coalition parties face. “In the past, these complicated matters were often entrusted to various administrative organizations, as this way the government could buy time,” explains De Vries. “But in this situation it is increasingly difficult to conduct such a ‘refrigerator policy’.”
Take it seriously
In order not to lose face with the voter, the cabinet must therefore take action. The first step is to acknowledge the BBB’s resounding electoral victory, says De Vries. “I think Caroline van der Plas should be taken more seriously than people in existing power often do.”
Also, according to the professor, it is wise to erase the year 2030, because ‘you cannot implement such important changes so quickly and now you are completely stuck’. Thirdly, De Vries advises the cabinet to stop talking about the Expropriation Act. “Political history shows that if you introduce that law, a cabinet crisis will follow in many cases.”