GroenLinks, PvdA confirm Timmermans' candidacy to lead left-wing bloc in election

The party managers of GroenLinks and PvdA officially nominated Frans Timmermans to lead their joint left-wing bloc in the parliamentary elections in November. He is the only candidate NOS reports.

An internal committee unanimously chose Timmermans to lead the combination, describing him as the ideal candidate “to convincingly propagate the joint green and social ideas of GroenLinks-PvdA.” The committee thinks Timmermans can bridge the sharp differences in society. “He brings a wealth of experience and has earned his spurs in both domestic and foreign politics. That makes him ideally suited as a figurehead of left-wing cooperation and credible as a prospective Prime Minister.”

The members of the two parties can now vote on whether they support the choice. The results of the vote will be announced on August 22.

Timmermans, currently vice-president of the European Commission, announced that he registered as a candidate to lead the GroenLinks-PvdA combination in July. He wants to be the Netherlands’ next Prime Minister, he said. The Netherlands faces massive challenges, including the climate crisis, growing inequality, and war on Europe’s borders. “We can only solve that if we work shoulder to shoulder.” If he has his way, this will happen with him as Prime Minister, Timmermans said. If not, he’ll be a parliamentarian.

The PvdA prominent’s candidacy gave the PvdA and GroenLinks an immediate boost in the polls. In the EenVandaag and Ipsos poll held on the weekend after Timmermans’ announcement, the left wing-combination jumped seven seats, bringing them to 27 - about the same as the VVD.