“Are you giving false hope to farmers?”

Caroline van der Plas is now the figurehead of farmers and this BBB’er is doing well in the polls. Last night she joined news time quite questioned about his approach. Because does it give farmers “false hope” in this nitrogen crisis?

After days of farmer protests, the House of Representatives is currently in recess. We have to wait for mediator Johan Remkes. But it seems that there is no compromise yet for farmers. In the polls, BBB leader Caroline van der Plas has 9 to 13 seats to her name and her popularity continues to grow.

I’m curious to know how @Newshour Caroline van der Plas will be put to the test. Normally they are very good at attacking politicians on their own statements and actions.

I would not refuse them in advance that they invited her.

— David Michels 🌹✊ (@DaveRMichels) July 10, 2022

Presenter Jeroen Wollaars criticizes Caroline van der Plas

She joined news time† the program that politicians often criticize. Presenter Jeroen Wollaars did the same for the BBB. He pointed out, for example, that Van der Plas often talks about the “ridiculous” nitrogen crisis, but does not deny that something needs to be done about nitrogen. The cabinet wants nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands to be reduced by 50%. Wollaars wonders which standard Van der Plas would like to use? To which Van der Plas replies that if the law prescribes that this 50% must be reached, it must be done.

She is not totally against the nitrogen policy, underlines the politician. But in the debates, ‘Lientje’ suggests that there would be a program to thwart the farmer. Wollaars also starts with that. He concludes that Van der Plas undermines science. “Science does not exist”, replies Van der Plas. “Science has continued to ask each other critical questions. I look critically at scientific reports.

#Newshour also wants to go to brown cafe. After all, if you want to add a little more fuel to the fire of the “growing peasant protests”, what do you do? @Newshour † Then you ask Caroline van der Plas to come talk about it in prime time. You never see them on TV, do you? https://t.co/Vg7yLe8pL7

— pink sparkle (@roosvonk) July 10, 2022

Dual Agenda

But according to Wollaars, Van der Plas uses two standards there. He talks about the journalistic research agency Agrifacts, which Van der Plas mentioned during a panel discussion in the House of Representatives. According to Wollaars, the board of directors of this independent foundation is complete farmers and farmers’ representatives “They claim to be different from what they are,” he says of Agrifacts. But according to the BBB leader, it’s no secret. The presenter points out that this foundation also has an agenda. “Exactly like you accuse the scientists?”, but Van der Plas explains that anyone can attend a panel discussion. And different parties invite different experts.

(𝟏/𝟑)
Laughing at (discomfort) on the face of #JeroenWollaars†

When @lienje1967 effortlessly a whole journalism team works, wipes the table in 10 min 😌!

I have them with me #Newshour not often seen grappling with facts,👏🏻👊🏻#𝐁𝐁𝐁 #nitrogen policy pic.twitter.com/QE6NFsK9iM

—Esther (@Ester90721164) July 11, 2022

Van der Plas in the breach for the farmers of Nieuwsuur

“Farmers get some hope out of it, farmers think there may still be room. Isn’t that a false hope that you are raising among farmers?”, asks the presenter to Van der Plas. “You have to look carefully at what the European Commission wants,” replies the leader of the BBB. We have to conserve nature and we have to work on it. There is no farmer in the Netherlands who says: ‘I want nature to deteriorate’”. According to her, you can do this in other ways than “we rigorously reduce 50 or 74%”.

Because according to Van der Plas, farmers have been making cuts for decades. “They didn’t sit on their hands. This farmer is the craftsman. In the Netherlands, we are very bad at involving professionals. But the technocrats, the civil servants and everything around them, they are involved. Craftsmanship must be at the top in the Netherlands and the farmers have proven themselves to be professionals. »

Very good performance by Caroline van de Plas @lienje1967 Bee #newshour†

“It is precisely the professionals who are not concerned, but the technocrats, the civil servants and all that surrounds them are.
Craftsmanship must be at the forefront of 🇳🇱.” pic.twitter.com/6HiUazGsZx

—Harry Hunter (@HarryJager7) July 10, 2022

Do you want to watch the Nieuwsuur broadcast? You will find the episode from last night here.