Dutch Farmers' Party Shocks Political Establishment in Provincial Elections.
The FarmerCitizenMovement (BBB), a pro-farmer party, won big in the Dutch provincial elections, finishing ahead of Prime Minister Mark Rutte's center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) party. The results call into question the Rutte government's ability to implement harsh policies aimed at clamping down on nitrogen emissions from farms. BBB is set to win 15 out of 75 seats, becoming the largest force in the Parliament's high chamber, ahead of VVD's 10 seats. The elections turned into a referendum on Rutte's rule, with 60 percent of voters saying they wanted to express their views on the government by voting.