Liberal VVD senator Ankie Broekers-Knol was on Tuesday unanimously re-elected as leader of the senate.

No other candidate stood against the 68-year-old and the vote was formality. All 70 senators present in the chamber voted for her.

Broekers-Knol has been a senator for nearly 14 years and leader of the upper house since July 2013.

In her acceptance speech, she emphasised the independence of the senate in its consideration of new laws. ‘It means the result of a vote can be very different to that of the parliament,’ she said.

In May’s senate elections the ruling coalition, which includes the VVD, lost its majority support.