BBB leader Caroline van der Plas. /AP /Peter Dejong
A farmers' protest party has shaken up the Dutch political landscape, seemingly on course to win more Senate seats Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative VVD party during the provincial elections.
The BBB, short for BoerBurgerBeweging, looked to have emerged as the big winner from the upper-house elections, riding off a wave of protests against the government's environmental policies.
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A first exit poll projected BBB won 15 of a total of 75 seats in the Senate, with the VVD falling from 12 to 10 seats.
Reacting to the exit poll, BBB leader Caroline van der Plas said: "Nobody can ignore us any longer. Voters have spoken out very clearly against this government's policies."
A first exit poll projected BBB won 15 of a total of 75 seats in the Senate in the provincial elections. /Reuters
The government says it aims to cut nitrogen emissions in half by 2030, as levels of nitrogen oxides in the soil and water have risen to levels that violate European Union regulations.
The nitrogen problem has crippled construction in the Netherlands as environmental groups have won a string of court cases ordering the government to limit the emissions and preserve nature, before new building permits can be granted.
The BBB says the problem has been exaggerated and that proposed solutions are unfairly balanced against farmers, leading to the closure of many farms and food production shortages.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte's party has struggled in the Senate – and in public opinion. /Mike Corder/AP
Rutte's government has not had a Senate majority since the previous provincial elections in 2019 and must negotiate deals with mostly left-wing opponents.
The two most cooperative parties, Labour and GreenLeft, looked set to have held on to their seats, keeping their combined group at a par with BBB and possibly enough to maintain support for Rutte's policies.
The Senate is the Netherlands' upper house, with the right to accept or reject legislative bills passed by the lower House of Representatives – but not to amend them or to initiate legislation.
BBB won a single lower-house seat in 2021, but its popularity has surged on the back of growing distrust of the government and anger over issues such as immigration.
Rutte's government, in its fourth consecutive term since 2010, has dropped to a 20 percent approval rating, its lowest in a decade. The next election for the House of Representatives must take place by March 2025.
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