Netherlands: Election campaign heats up as leaders clash over climate change
 

Coalition parties VVD and D66 have clashed over the government’s plans to cut carbon emissions, with both sides warning that they are prepared to bring down the coalition over the issue.

The VVD’s parliamentary group leader Klaas Dijkhoff cast doubt over the viability of the draft agreement, reached in December, which aims to cut CO2 emissions by 49% by 2030. ‘The chances of me carrying out this agreement in the literal sense is zero,’ he said.

Rob Jetten, his counterpart from the progressive liberal D66 party, said an ‘ambitious climate agreement’ was at the core of his party’s participation in government. ‘Without an ambitious climate policy [there will be] no cabinet’, he said.

The remarks were made as campaigning gets under way for the elections to the provincial assemblies in March, when the environment is expected to be one of the defining issues.

The draft agreement, drawn up by seven political parties including all four coalition partners, contains 600 measures ranging from switching off the gas main and phasing out petrol and diesel cars to higher fuel taxes for householders and industry.

The VVD and Christian Democrats have been reluctant to implement far-reaching reforms to switch the Netherlands to green energy, which they say weigh too heavily on the bill payer. By distancing themselves from the deal, the right-wing VVD hope to win over voters who are sceptical of the plan or worried about rising energy prices.

‘If things had gone our way it could have given us an excellent plan where the burden on householders was bearable and well distributed. But that’s not what we have,’ said Dijkhoff.

‘If it’s a question of ditching the cabinet or ditching the voters, I will never ditch the voters,’ he added.

His criticism echoes comments made by Christian Democrat leader Sybrand Buma during the summer, when he warned of a rift between ‘prosecco drinking Tesla drivers’ who could afford to shoulder the cost of the energy transition and those who could not.

‘It is significant that the VVD now sees that the climate agreement is not sacred,’ Buma said in response to Dijkhoff’s remarks.

ChristenUnie (CU) leader Gert-Jan Segers, whose party supports the climate deal, called on Twitter for Dijkhoff to stick to the deal. ‘I’ll allow him his one liner… [but] you can’t just break agreements once you’ve made them.’

Prime minister Mark Rutte said he remained confident that the cabinet would survive the row. ‘I see four parties who think differently about things, but we agree about our goals,’ he told NOS’s weekend current affairs show Buitenhof.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/0...e-change-deal/

ok we could get some exciting elections then here ourselves

translating

climate change plans should be within a certain budget and to be achieved within a certain deadline

CDA member Harry van den molen: we need someone who can keep their cool under pressure and that is our leader Sybrand Buma

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/0...cut-emissions/

‘We are open to all solutions,’ economic affairs minister Eric Wiebes said, while prime minister Mark Rutte told MPs ‘there are no taboos and we are going to look at it.

’Nevertheless, Rutte said he personally did not think a ‘simple fine’ would lead to the desired reduction in CO2 emissions. The aim of the agreeemnt is to cut CO2 emissions 49% by 2030 when compared with 1990.


and 98% by 2050 is the plan in our PM Rutte's climate change deal

What Date is Your Election?

we got provincial elections for this year on 20th March 2019


which is a big test for the party of PM Rutte (VVD) some expect them to lose their majority of votes


next general election is scheduled for 17th March 2021 but may be held at an earlier date if a snap election is called

Just Local Elections
who cares

no, we got a big RTL Politics live debate, and also live results who are most popular party's and in which provincial states


the general election can come sooner, if a majority votes no confidence in their PM

next month today we get the heat of provincial election, and the results

https://www.tvgids.nl/tv/het-rtl-ver...debat/61944641

Thursday 7th of March 2019 RTL4 has the election debate right before the big provincial election vote

gonna be important if some of the bigger parties VVD, CDA, D66, GroenLinks win more votes, or lose votes to a different party

some think our PM Rutte and his VVD might lose several voters, since quite some of the public doesn't have confidence in him anymore