Diederik Samsom campaigning for the PvdA in Amsterdam in 2012, with Lodewijk Asscher (holding a microphone) - Credit: Partij van de Arbeid / Wikimedia Commons

Friday, December 2, 2016 - 09:40

Labour party leadership race comes down to the wire

The election for PvdA leadership between curent leader Diederik Samsom and current Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher, is coming down to a neck-on-neck race. Samsom has the support of some 47 percent of PvdA members and 44 percent support Asscher, according to a survey by EenVandaag among 600 members.

The other 9 percent don't know who they'll vote for yet. PvdA members can vote for their new leader until December 8th.

Those who support Samsom blieve that he deserves the party leadership because of his "proven service" the past four years. Asscher supporters feel that the party needs a "new face".

EenVandaag also asked PvdA voters what they think about the party leadership. Among the voters, Asscher is the clear favorite - 52 percent, against 33 percent for Samsom.

In an interview with NU.nl Samsom said that he is not surprised about how close the race between himself and Asscher is for party leadership. "As I've said time and again: I know the party so I feel the struggle in the halls among our members. The you know it's fifty-fifty", he said to the newspaper. He is also not surprised that the voters prefer Asscher. "That Asscher is ahead with the voters is not news."

He added that his least favorite part of this party leadership election is the fact that he is running against Asscher. "I've said it before that it makes me a bit uncomfortable. Because there you are in a debate next to someone whose been your political friend for four years. And you get to hear all sorts of accusations that make me think: wait a little, we did that together."

Asscher also said that the PVV's popularity has less to do with the party's strenght than with the PvdA's shortcomings "I have often said that many people who now vote PVV are essentially PvdA voters. If you as man of the house are afraid for the future of your jobs or that of your kids - and then vote for Wilders - then it is our shortcomings, not the strenght of the PVV." he said. "I talk to a lot of PVV voters. I look for the m consciously, because I feel that they are our voters. In the conversations it is almost always said that they also know that Wilders does not have the solutions. They expect us to come up with solutions."