Koning: ‘Farmers come to the table, violence is never the solution’ | Inland

“There has to be a dialogue. We have to find a solution together,” said the monarch. “Farmers are part of the Netherlands, part of our identity. That is why it is very important to find a solution together.” Willem-Alexander does not want to say whether the king believes that the threats against politicians and the violence against police officers are a threat to the democratic legal order. He also did not want to know where exactly the boundary is as far as he is concerned.

Although he and his wife Máxima have been busy with the visit to the Alpine country for the past three days, the images of the actions of the farmers’ protests that have gotten out of hand were also viewed in the margins. “We follow very closely what is happening in the Netherlands,” said the king.

Last week he made a plea for perspective for farmers, in response to the government’s plans to reduce nitrogen emissions. This appeal was coordinated with the cabinet, so that the monarch could exercise his desired role of connector in order to maintain a little calm in the country. But the intensity of the peasant protests has also hit government circles hard. Willem-Alexander reiterated on Wednesday that perspective for farmers still remains very important.

very proud

The king went on to say that he is “extremely proud” of his daughter Amalia’s performance during last week’s press conference. According to Willem-Alexander, the gap year that the crown princess is finishing has gone well. Queen Máxima emphasized that her daughter has a right to privacy when it comes to her love life. That was also asked last week. The king then took the floor and said it was a bit early for an 18-year-old to draw any conclusions about how serious the relationship is with someone she may like.

On the third day of the state visit, the royal couple traveled from Vienna to Graz, Austria’s second largest city. That visit was all about sustainable transport. For example, attention was paid to the development of techniques that promote CO2 reduction, such as software and batteries for cars and to the bicycle offensive that Graz wants to start to get the population on the steel steed.

The day ended with the traditional photo opportunity in a beautiful spot, this time at the historic Uhrturm on the Schlossberg in Graz.

The next state visit is scheduled for the fall. King and Queen are planning to travel to Sweden then.

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