(Bloomberg) -- Former European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans, a prime minister candidate in Dutch elections later this month, backtracked on his commitment to the 2030 deadline of halving nitrogen emissions, in a surprise U-turn to appease farmers.

Timmermans, who is leading the alliance of Green Left and Labor parties, hinted he may drop his pledge after having spoken to young farmers in recent weeks. “We’ll see how we can come together, and I think that’s more important than keeping exactly what we agreed in the election manifesto,” he said in a televised debate on Sunday night.

Although 2035 has been enshrined in Dutch law as a deadline for nitrogen emissions cuts, Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet had proposed to accelerate the transition by five years. That led to months of protests by angry farmers who said they would be forced out of business as their livestock are seen as the biggest emitters.

Dropping the election pledge marks a departure from Timmermans’ prior focus as the European Union’s climate czar. Timmermans, who resigned from the European Commission in August, was at the forefront of the bloc’s green deal, a plan that aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent. He had battled backlash from center-right groups in the last few months of his tenure as they disagreed with the pace of the bloc’s climate transition. 

Timmermans’ bloc has been polling as the third largest party, after Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius’ People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy and Pieter Omtzigt’s New Social Contract party ahead of the elections on Nov. 22.

--With assistance from April Roach.

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