BBB dropped out of Utrecht coalition after seven-way talks broke down

Photo: M Lehmann via Depositphotos

The Farmers’ Party BBB has dropped out of talks to form a provincial government in Utrecht after a proposed seven-party coalition collapsed in less than a day.

regional InformantAnne Lize van der Stoel, tasked with identifying a functioning government following state elections in March, recommended a combination of seven political parties led by the BBB and the right-wing liberal VVD.

But the center-right coalition, which also includes the Christian Democratic Party, the far-right JA21, the orthodox Protestant SGP and the pro-European Bolt, has been unable to get off the ground after the more moderate Christian party CU declined to join. bottom.

CU said it had not received assurances from JA21 that it would withdraw its manifesto pledge to close new wind turbines in Utrecht and dismantle existing ones.

CU deputy leader Arne Schaddelee said: said he felt his party was “uncomfortable” It opposed consultations with the other six parties without clarifying the wind turbine issue. The CU has said it supports a coalition led by the BBB and GroenLinks, but last week the parties said their differences on issues such as climate change and farm buyouts were “irreconcilable”.

The BBB emerged as the largest party in all 12 states in the state elections, but the margin was narrowest in Utrecht, beating GroenLinks by less than half a percentage point. Both parties have 7 seats, VVD has her 6 seats and he is the second largest.

Anton Berleen, chairman of the BBB’s local group, told Radio M Utrecht that his colleagues were “very disappointed and angry” and accused other parties of conspiring to remove the BBB. suggested.

“We had one chance to reach an agreement with GroenLinks but were unable to get a change to talk to the other parties. I feel like

Members of parliament agreed Monday night to ask GroenLinks and VVD to appoint new negotiators and form a 49-seat parliamentary majority coalition without the BBB.