Caroline van der Plas

Biography

"I just do what I am not told"

A farmer without a farm, that is what I call myself. I had been working on the idea for the BoerBurgerBeweging for years, long before the 2019 farmer protests. We saw the turmoil coming, simply because the countryside had no real representation in our political system. I saw what was needed, so I made it happen myself.

Common sense

You cannot change the world without getting your hands dirty: that is why I became a politician. It helps that I come from a family of politicians. My mother was an alderman in Deventer and I have always been interested in politics. At some point, I started spending a lot of time in the agricultural industry for my job and I realised that Dutch politics could do with a bit of rural common sense. The countryside deserves much more attention in The Hague.

Professionals

I have a soft spot for rural people and their down-to-earth, hard-working, straightforward outlook on life. Because I speak to farmers often, I know what they need: less superfluous rules and regulations and more appreciation. I have seen first-hand how hard farmers have to work to meet all the rules imposed on them. Policy should be made by professionals, not civil servants: that’s what I am trying to accomplish as an MP.