Member of Parliament Christine Teunissen calls it “a nonsense” that the board wants to push Ouwehand aside “through a bizarre statement”. Teunissen was Ouwehand’s replacement when she was overloaded. She told the NOS that she is not available to succeed Ouwehand as party leader. “I want Esther to remain party leader and party leader.”
The youth organization of the Party for the Animals, Pink!, has stated that it does not recognize the accusation against Ouwehand. “This is at the expense of our party leader and party,” writes Pink! on X (formerly Twitter). “We want the board to resign as quickly as possible.”
The Groningen faction chairman Wesley Pechler stated on X that he is squarely behind Ouwehand. “The board distorts the facts, does not involve the members, and digs its own grave.”
It is unclear what will happen next with the party leadership. “The fact that Ouwehand is no longer nominated by the board does not mean that she cannot be a candidate. She can put herself forward as a candidate and ultimately that is the responsibility of the members and not the party board,” Niemeijer explains.
The party conference, at which, among other things, the list of candidates will be presented to the members, is currently scheduled for September 24. Several party members have announced that they also want to dismiss the board at that conference. Niemeijer: “The members also have the final say on that.”