“Due to the departure of Lilianne and earlier Lodewijk, which has affected us all very much, we are once again forced to choose a new party leader,” Kuiken (44) reports. “After careful consideration – a decision like this is not something you take overnight – I am convinced that I want to take on this role.”
Kuiken states that she “takes her motivation and a wealth of political experience with her.” She also discusses the much-discussed collaboration with GL. “Recently we have worked well with GroenLinks and I would like to continue and expand that cooperation.”
Although she is not talking about a merger. “In the coming period, we will have to discuss what this cooperation should look like with our party. With a united progressive movement, we will make a bigger fist against the conservative forces that, like us, do not opt for community and equality, but for individualism and personal gain.”
Leaderless
Kuiken has more ambition than just looking after the store. † Fitting to the store is out of the question. I like to work on a faction that stands there with fire and verve. With a warm heart, with cheerfulness, with a solid dose of sobriety and with unbridled commitment. With that, I ask for your confidence to serve our group in the coming period.”
After the departure of Lilianne Ploumen last Tuesday, the PvdA is leaderless. The leader surprised not only the outside world, but also many party members with the message that she stopped immediately. The Amsterdam woman does not consider herself good enough for the PvdA leadership, she indicated.
The party has to decide on Friday who will succeed her as party leader of the PvdA in the House of Representatives. Candidates have until Thursday morning to register. Later, towards new parliamentary elections, it will be decided who will be the new party leader. For this, figures such as Frans Timmermans, Ahmed Aboutaleb and the Amsterdam alderman Marjolein Moorman are being looked at.