A senior Dutch minister has warned fellow politicians in Europe of waning public support for the region’s climate policies as showcased by a continuing stand-off between farmers and the government over greenhouse gas limits in the Netherlands.
Deputy prime minister Sigrid Kaag, who also serves as minister of finance, told the Financial Times of the increasingly difficult task her government faces rallying some parts of the electorate behind policies with intergenerational ramifications, including the need to reduce nitrogen emissions, which has led to significant disruption, clashes with police and a political upset in elections for the Dutch senate.
“We need to create that level of support and entice people, and inspire them,” said Kaag, who heads the liberal D66 party, which is one of the four parties in government. “That is not always easy because the Netherlands, ironically, is more conservative than you would think.”