Venstre leader Troels Lund Poulsen has publicly defended his party’s backing of a new nitrogen law, after party veteran Søren Gade announced he will vote against it.
Poulsen made his position clear in a written statement reported by DR on Sunday. He said he respected the view of party members who want Venstre to leave the green tripartite agreement, but that he deeply disagreed. Leaving the agreement will not be party policy under his leadership, he stated.
The conflict concerns the so-called gødskningslov, which requires agriculture to regulate its use of fertilizer. The aim is to limit the runoff of nitrogen into the marine environment. According to DR, the law was drawn up by the former SVM government together with the parties behind the green tripartite deal, Venstre included.
Gade confirmed in an interview with TV Midtvest that he intends to break with the party line, DR reports. Several Venstre mayors in central and western Jutland support his position. Party colleague Trine Jepsen has called Gade’s behavior disloyal, according to DR.
Poulsen said he was sorry that the debate now has to be held in public. Ekstra Bladet reported on August 29 that he expressed the same regret after a meeting of the Venstre leadership. The outlet added on August 30 that he restated that Venstre would not abandon the tripartite deal.
Vote set for September 3
The law faces its third reading in the Folketing on Thursday, September 3. Poulsen argued that it is better to stay at the negotiating table than to walk away from it. He also wrote that he would not object if the new regulation could be postponed while nitrogen reductions were delivered another way.
The Venstre leader said the party stands behind the full green tripartite agreement. Nitrogen regulation will come, as agreed, in order to reduce the burden on fjords and coastal waters, he stated. He added that the load must be cut from agriculture and all other relevant sources.
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On Monday, August 31, more than 4,000 participants from across the country are due to gather in Odense for a mass meeting on the government’s agricultural policy. Farmers and businesses in related industries are attending because they fear the consequences of the coming nitrogen regulation, according to DR.
Poulsen also used the statement to reject claims that his party serves narrow interests. Venstre is not a party for special interests and is not in the pocket of agriculture, he wrote. He added that farmers deserve respect rather than suspicion and shaming.
DR Nyheder said it was working to obtain a comment from Søren Gade.
