BBB drew voters from across political spectrum; "Monster victory," newspapers say

Caroline van der Plas and her farmers’ movement BBB attracted voters from across the political spectrum - from left-wing to far-right - for their massive win in the provincial elections. The Dutch newspapers are unanimous about the victory, with NRC and the Telegraaf calling it “crushing,” while FD, the Volkskrant, and AD spoke of a monster victory.” The largest newspaper in the Netherlands opened the front page with just one word: KABBBOEM!, with the three B’s baptized in the party’s green.

According to NOS’s exit poll, the BBB got many voters from the right and center-right. Nineteen percent of people who voted for FvD in the last provincial election in 2019 voted for BBB on Wednesday. As dit 18 percent of PVV voters, 17 percent of VVD voters, and 14 percent of CDA voters. On the center-left and left-wing of the spectrum, the D66 lost seven percent of its voters to BBB and SP 9 percent. Seven percent of people who voted for BBB yesterday did not vote in the previous election.

The consequences of the BBB’s election victory, projected to lead to 15 seats in the Senate and the BBB being the largest party in many provinces, will significantly impact the Cabinet’s nitrogen targets, NRC wrote. “Provincial CDA and VVD administrators have already stated that they do not want to agree to the forced expropriation of livestock farmers. Now that BBB has conquered a position of power all over the country, resistance in the province against the measures will grow.’

According to De Telegraaf, the party is dealing a blow to the established order. “The straight-forward party is very successful with its adamant nitrogen course. The party also knows how to bind voters who yearn for change, a clear anti-vote in the direction of incumbent coalition parties VVD, D66, CDA, and CU. For the coalition, the grapes are sour.”

The FD fears for the stability of the current Cabinet now that the coalition will likely go from 32 to 24 Senate seats. “With an even weaker position in the Senate, the government coalition must beg even more humbly for majorities. That can weaken the position of the Cabinet and fuel internal division.”

AD sees the election result as a tap on the Cabinet’s fingers. “With BBB’s huge profit, a solid left block, and a hard blow to the coalition, Prime Minister Rutte must pull out all the stops to keep his Cabinet afloat. If that doesn’t already fall apart due to internal quarrel,” the newspaper predicts. It expects pressure on the government from both sides, with BBB and JA21 against the nitrogen and climate policy on one side and the left-wing bloc of GroenLinks/PvdA on the other, demanding more action on those same themes.

According to Trouw, after FvD’s substantial gains in 2019, voters have again designated a protest party as the big winner in the Provincial Council elections. “BBB is not Forum, but just like then, the protest vote landed with a resounding blow in The Hague. With BBB’s win, dissatisfaction in the country is back on the political agenda, this time with the gap between rural and urban as the source.”

According to the Volkskrant, BBB’s victory is mainly at the expense of FvD and the CDA, “which are shrinking to proportions that were considered impossible for a long time.”