ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands — Frans Timmermans, former European Commission climate chief and leader of the Dutch GreenLeft-Labor ticket, announced he would resign as leader of the alliance after disappointing results in Wednesday’s Dutch election.
Exit polls projected the alliance would win 20 seats, five less than in the 2023 election and well short of pre-election predictions.
“It’s clear that I, for whatever reason, couldn’t convince people to vote for us,” Timmermans said in a speech in Rotterdam. “It’s time that I take a step back and transfer the lead of our movement to the next generation.”
Timmermans’ exit follows two consecutive elections in which he couldn’t lead the joint green-socialist ticket to victory. In the November 2023 vote, right after he left his top job at the European Commission, his alliance won seats, but was beaten by the far-right PVV to first place.
Fans of the joint ticket had higher hopes this time, with enthusiasm building up at the large Maassilo venue in Rotterdam. The building was lit up in green and red colors, and attendees were served green and red shots to drink. But the buoyant mood didn’t last long.
While the GreenLeft-Labor ticket had emerged during the campaign as a progressive contender against the far-right PVV, Wednesday’s exit polls projected the party to come in fourth place, behind the liberals of D66, the PVV and the surprisingly strong liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
Timmermans started off his concession speech by congratulating D66. “They remain a party that wants to shape this country progressively in a democratic way,” he said, of the party that is set to take pole position in forming a government.
His supporters remained with him till the bitter end. “I love you, Frans,” one audience member yelled, right as Timmermans was about to announce that “he would take his responsibility.”
Despite the disappointing result, GreenLeft-Labor party members in Rotterdam tried to focus on the projected loss of the far-right PVV, which is tracking to lose 12 seats compared to last elections according to the polls, as a positive — while sounding a warning to D66.
“The Netherlands is moving away from the far-right,” party member Elmar Smid, who used to work at the European Parliament for the Socialists & Democrats group, told POLITICO before Timmermans announced his resignation.
“It’s now up to D66 to show their true colors: are they gonna make social choices or are they gonna side with the right and choose for companies?” he asked.
This story has been updated.
The post Frans Timmermans quits as Dutch center-left boss after election debacle appeared first on Politico.
