GroenLinks-PvdA MP Tom van der Lee has also put himself forward (again) for the presidency of the House. He wrote this in a letter that he sent and shared with the House of Representatives on Sunday on X. The experienced parliamentarian is the third to offer himself after Thom van Campen (VVD) and current Chamber President Martin Bosma (PVV).
Van der Lee (1964) was born in a small village in the Achterhoek. He entered the House of Representatives in 2017. In the eight years he served in the presidency, he has gained ample experience in leading plenary debates. Last summer he also represented the House of Representatives during the national commemoration of the Dutch slavery past, because Chamber Chairman Martin Bosma was not wanted there due to disparaging statements he previously made about the commemoration. Van der Lee also wanted to become Speaker of the House in 2023, but lost to Bosma.
In his application letter, Van der Lee writes that he would like to help improve political culture “in a world where autocratic forces are increasingly gaining ground.” “I want to promote that we mainly focus on the ball and not on the man or woman.” He portrays himself as someone who can connect, has authority and “fair and decisively” acts “when necessary”.
The new House of Representatives will vote on Tuesday on who will become the new Speaker of the House. It would be interesting to follow whether D66 and CDA are on the left (Van der Lee) or on the right (Van Campen), if it were not for the fact that the votes of the MPs remain secret.
Live blog
Cabinet formation
Experienced Tom van der Lee (GL-PvdA) is once again entering the battle for the presidency of the House
NEW: Give this item as a gift
As an NRC subscriber you can subscribe every month 10 items give as a gift to someone without an NRC subscription. The recipient can read the article directly, without a paywall.