Green great reset policies aimed at cutting nitrogen pollution in Flanders have thrown the region’s coalition government into chaos, as politicians worry about the impact the measures will have on farmers.
Flanders — the northern, Dutch-speaking region residing within the Belgian state — has seen its ruling coalition government thrown into turmoil, after one of the three parties ruling the region opted to resist the implementation of green agenda changes aimed at curbing nitrogen pollution in farming.
The changes have largely been sparked by a green agenda push at the level of the European Union, with the bloc forcing both regional and national governments across the continent into implementing measures restricting the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers that will likely put many farmers out of business.
Farmers in Flanders are no exception to this, with many now extremely concerned about the new measures which will see the country’s pig heard cut by 30 per cent by 2030, with some businesses even set to be ordered to close by the country’s government.
With farmers staging a massive protest in the Belgian capital of Brussels over the green agenda changes earlier this month, the ruling Flemish Christian Democrat Party (CD&V) have seemingly had enough, walking out of government discussions over plans to curb Nitrogen pollution in the region, leaving their fellow coalition members, the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open Vld) to continue the green agenda push on their own.
Both parties will likely struggle to get anything done however, as not only do they not have enough votes in parliament to get any deal on curbing nitrogen signed into law, but without the CD&V, the government may not even be allowed to rule the region at all, seemingly not meeting the minimum legal requirements to operate a government under Belgian law.
