Transparent trick from Frans Timmermans to push through the merger of PvdA and GroenLinks: old wine in old bags | Columns

This week, the leader of GroenLinks-Pvda Timmermans launched a proposal to set up a new left party. He stated that he was in a hurry. That hurry is understandable. It is unique in parliamentary history that a sitting government coalition loses 20 seats in the polls and that at the same time the largest opposition party is improving zero seats. That’s a huge achievement! You have to do it very badly in the eyes of the electorate.