DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

1 June 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Labour leader Lilianne Ploumen quits: ‘Leadership doesn’t suit me’

April 12, 2022
Photo: ANP/ Sem van der Wal
Photo: ANP/ Sem van der Wal

Labour party leader Lilianne Ploumen has announced she is stepping down after just 15 months in the job.

The 59-year-old, who is also quitting as an MP, said in a statement that ‘leadership of the party doesn’t suit me and that means I am not the ideal leader of our party.’

Ploumen’s unexpected departure comes a month after the PvdA made modest gains in the municipal elections, including a headline-grabbing surge in Amsterdam where it overtook GroenLinks and D66 to become the largest party.

She became leader in January 2021 after Lodewijk Asscher resigned over his handling of the childcare benefits scandal, which began while he was social affairs minister in Mark Rutte’s second cabinet. In 2017 she had retained her seat on the strength of personal preference votes after the PvdA were reduced from 38 seats to a rump of nine.

Ploumen said when she took the job she wanted to be ‘not just a leader who can open up The Hague to what’s important in this country and the world, but one who is also a skilled debater in the parliamentary chamber. I don’t think I can realise that adequately, and therefore I am stepping down.’

GroenLinks pact

Following last year’s general election, when the PvdA was unable to improve on its total of nine seats, Ploumen formed a pact with GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver in which both parties insisting they would only join a coalition together.

The result was that both parties stayed in opposition after D66 leader Sigrid Kaag dropped her opposition to a second term with the ChristenUnie (CU). The other two coalition partners, VVD and the Christian Democrats (CDA), dismissed the idea of a five-party cabinet with PvdA and GroenLinks as unstable.

Ploumen said the ‘partnership between the PvdA and GroenLinks will become broader and deeper’ in future, but NRC reported on Tuesday that the rapprochement had caused tensions within the parliamentary group.

Older Labour MPs in particular were said to be unhappy at the way the party was leaning towards the progressive GroenLinks and away from the hard-left Socialist Party, while also arguing that recent successes in elections to the European parliament and Amsterdam city council showed the party was strong enough to campaign alone.

You hear them saying: “See? Voters aren’t interested in co-operation on the left,”‘ NRC quoted one insider as saying.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Politics
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Dutch government websites still reliant on US cloud services
Ni hao! Amsterdam educational book sparks racism complaints
Artist Bas Kosters on the serious business of creating joy
Warm end to May, slightly cooler start to meteorological summer
From rooftops to refugee artists: 11 great things to do in June
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now