Groene co-president Nadia Nagy on the electric car premium: “Are you giving this money to a select group of Flemish people who can afford a Tesla, or for public transportation for everyone?” | local

Farmers want to get more money for their products and have fewer regulations imposed on them. In recent weeks, they have taken to the streets to sound the alarm. Naji responds to farmers' protests: “I understand why farmers are taking to the streets.” “Farmers work a lot and earn little wages. They have been encouraged by the CD&V, De Boerenbond and traditional parties to invest in larger stables and expand, causing oversupply. As a result, they receive less money.”

“Traditional parties targeting EU environmental policy are deliberately looking for an enemy. Good climate policy is also essential for farmers. We have seen this with floods and severe droughts. This has an impact on farmers’ incomes,” Nagy continues to conclude trade agreements at European level. “We are obstructing an agreement under which meat is imported from Latin America at dumping prices that our farmers cannot compete with. “It's also bad for the climate.”

Europe has already made concessions after the violent protests, including a plan to phase out pesticides. Unlike Prime Minister De Croo, Groen is not satisfied with the postponement of this plan. “De Croo no longer speaks as prime minister, but as a campaigner. The European elections will be a referendum on climate. Do we want to go further for climate and farmers? Or do we want to withdraw that? I see mainly politicians who are backing down.”

“If it depends on the traditional parties, they will collude with the extremist parties to block the climate policy we desperately need. Only with green will we get a fair climate policy.”

There is an agreement on a premium of €5,000 for electric cars with a maximum purchase price of €40,000. Gruen mainly advocates greening the vehicle fleet. “The traditional parties give this money to people who can already afford an expensive car, while also eliminating three thousand stops in De Lien,” Nagy says.

“You have a limited amount of euros that you can only spend once. Do you give it to a select group of Flemish people who can use it to buy a Tesla? Or do you give it to public transportation that everyone can use?”