Pressure is mounting on Labour party leader Diederik Samsom after a number of prominent party supporters published a call for him to resign before the next election.

Support for the PvdA has plummeted since the 2012 vote, and according to some opinion polls, the social democrats would win just 6% support in a new general election.

In 2012, the PvdA was the second biggest party with over 25% of the vote and went on to form a coalition government with the right-wing Liberal VVD.

‘We are calling on Diederik Samsom to withdraw from the campaign leadership,’ Labour backer Gerard Bosman says on his critical blog Linksom! ‘And on other leading party members to come forward as candidates… for the sake of the party.’ Bosman has the support of several prominent PvdA supporters.

According to RTL news correspondent Frits Wester, Samsom sees the call as support for a multi-candidate election to find a leader for the 2017 election campaign.

‘Everyone can put themselves forward,’ Wester quotes Samsom as saying. ‘I will decide in October whether to stand myself.’