Labour leader Job Cohen is standing down as both head of the parliamentary party and as an MP with immediate effect, the PvdA announced on Monday afternoon.

Cohen, the former mayor of Amsterdam, took over the job before the 2010 general election, winning the party 30 seats in parliament, just one less than the ruling VVD. Since then, however, the party’s fortunes have plummeted and last week there was renewed speculation about the direction of the party and Cohen’s positio
Cohen said in a statement on the PvdA website he wanted to contribute to a ‘decent society’ but had been unable to bring that message across sufficiently.
‘I made the transition to national politics two years ago because I wanted to contribute to a decent society in which as many people as possible could flourish regardless of their colour or creed. Unfortunately, in the political and media driven environment of ‘The Hague’ I have not been able to show how the road to such a decent society could be achieved,’ he said.
‘It is our task to give people a better perspective, especially in times of crisis. And if the leader of a party fails to contribute to this task effectively, it is time to go,’ Cohen said.
Socialists
In particular, the PvdA has been hit by the rising popularity of the SP which has now outstripped the VVD in the latest polls.
Matters came to a head last week when Cohen and new party chairman Hans Spekman gave an interview to Trouw which seemed to indicate they planned a move to the left. The interview was criticised by a number of PvdA stalwarts and according to some reports, over half of the Labour MPs wanted Cohen to quit.
It is not clear who will take over the parliamentary leadership role.
Reactions
Prime minister Mark Rutte said in a reaction that he valued Cohen’s integrity and the ‘respectful way he served the public good.’
SP leader Emile Roemer described Cohen’s decision to stand down as ‘dramatic’. ‘We worked together closely for a better Netherlands,’ Roemer said. Jolande Sap, leader of the left-wing greens GroenLinks said Dutch politics needs people who campaign for a more social country. ‘It is such a shame he feels the need to stand down,’ Sap told news agency ANP.
More to follow
Archive photo: Novum