Farmers watch parliamentary debate on controversial fertilizer law on giant screen

Farmers gathered outside Denmark’s parliament on Tuesday to watch lawmakers debate the controversial fertilizer law on a giant screen.

The bill’s second reading drew speeches from Danish People’s Party leader Morten Messerschmidt and Denmark Democrats leader Inger Støjberg, both of whom oppose the proposed nitrogen regulations and plan to vote against the measure.

Addressing the broad parliamentary majority expected to support the bill on Thursday, Støjberg said: “You now have two days to realize the consequences.” The debate was unusually lengthy for a second reading.

The law would require farmers to receive quotas for nitrogen emissions into fjords and coastal waters from next year. The quotas would change as new measurements assess how much nitrogen the aquatic environment can absorb, and as farmers convert land to nature.

The proposal emerged from the Green Tripartite agreement, which Venstre helped shape under the SVM government. Five of Venstre’s 18 members of parliament now plan to vote against it, aligning themselves with the agriculture sector’s vocal protests.

The demonstration in Copenhagen was organized by Sustainable Agriculture and involved about 300 tractors traveling through the city center. Another protest in Aarhus, at Universitetsparken, drew around 35 tractors.

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You now have two days to realize the consequences.