D66 leader Kaag aims arrows at conservative alliance

At the start of the election campaign for next month's provincial council elections, D66 party chairwoman Sigrid Kaag warned against a strong conservative bloc in the Senate of parliament in Arnhem. Then, in her opinion, stagnation looms.

Kaag aimed her arrows at JA21, BBB, PVV, and FVD. These right-wing populist parties are not ready to make decisions, she said. "If these parties come to power, the problems will become bigger and solutions will become distant."

"Provincial members of parliament will elect the members of the Senate in May. The threat of a large conservative bloc in the Senate is urgent and real. They will not hesitate to put the handbrake on our country. That's what these elections are about," Kaag said.

In her opinion, the problems will not be addressed if such a right-wing bloc wins many seats. Nature will not improve, the construction of new houses will slow down, nitrogen measures will fail to materialize and "the Netherlands will remain the mega-stable of Europe."

D66 will not sit on provincial governments that choose to stand still and delay, she affirmed. Kaag also expressed her hope that VVD and CDA will not join forces with PVV and FVD in the provinces. "I trust that VVD and CDA have learned from the past," she said.

In general, D66 rules out cooperation with PVV or FVD. However, that's not the case for BBB and JA21, but Kaag doesn't see that happening anytime soon. "It doesn't seem very plausible to us if you look at their voter engagement, their statements and their voting behavior, but they are in a very different category than PVV and FVD."

Paul van Meenen, the list leader in the Senate elections, certainly sees room for the BBB. "There are clear differences in content, especially on the issue of nitrogen. But to be clear, we have nothing to gain from a big BBB. But if they come, then I do see possibilities to at least seek cooperation in other areas."

BBB, PVV, and JA21 all made gains in recent provincial council polls. Forum, the big winner in the last elections, lost significantly. D66 remains unchanged even though it is at a slight loss in the Ipsos/EenVandaag and I&O Research polls.