SP leader Lilian Marijnissen resigns, party needs a "new face"

SP leader Lilian Marijnissen is resigning from office. She made the announcement to her party on Saturday afternoon. According to AD, the reason for the resignation as party leader and MP is the recent election defeat in the parliamentary elections, in which the party was halved.

Het was een eer om volksvertegenwoordiger te zijn. pic.twitter.com/irhZfeiBhN

— Lilian Marijnissen (@MarijnissenL) December 9, 2023

After losing elections again, the party needs a "new face", she said. "That is why I am stepping down as party leader and MP of the SP. In last month's parliamentary elections, the party once again lost significantly. As a result, only five seats remained.

After the election defeat, Marijnissen was combative and had no intention of resigning. But if the party council, the highest body of the SP, asked her to make way for someone else, she would do so, Marijnissen told the ANP shortly after the election. The party council recently expressed its confidence in her. However, it decided to investigate the poor election result further.

Marijnissen does not seem to want to wait for the outcome of this investigation. "Unfortunately, the last elections did not bring the result for the SP that we had hoped for and that the Netherlands so desperately needs," Marijnissen wrote. "I have always been aware that it is a great but also temporary honor to be the leader of my party."

Marijnissen succeeded Emile Roemer as party leader of the SP on December 13, 2017. In the 2021 parliamentary elections, the party lost five seats under her leadership; in last month's elections, the party lost another four. The SP also suffered losses in the last provincial council and municipal council elections.

Politicians in The Hague regret Marijnissen’s departure

With the departure of SP party leader Lilian Marijnissen, The Hague and the Netherlands have lost an "enthusiastic, committed and reliable politician", Mark Rutte wrote on X. "Despite our substantive differences, we have always been able to work well together and I really appreciate her.”

https://twitter.com/MinPres/status/1733474491873845312

The outgoing Prime Minister also said that he has spoken to Marijnissen and wished her all the best for the future.

Furthermore, the party leaders of PVV, GroenLinks-PvdA, and D66 regret the departure of SP leader Lilian Marijnissen. Other MPs also regret that another experienced politician is leaving.

With her departure, "the Tweede Kamer loses an experienced politician and a powerful advocate of the left-wing cause," Frans Timmermans (GroenLinks-PvdA) said on X. PVV leader Geert Wilders calls it "a shame" that she is leaving, but expresses his respect for her choice. "I think she's great, regardless of all political differences. A good debater and a very sympathetic colleague."

Met het vertrek van @MarijnissenL verliest de Tweede Kamer een ervaren politicus en een krachtige pleitbezorger van de linkse zaak.

Lilian, bedankt voor de strijd die je hebt geleverd en veel geluk en voorspoed op de nieuwe paden die je gaat bewandelen. Het ga je goed! https://t.co/aS6eb7KA6u

— Frans Timmermans (@F__Timmermans) December 9, 2023

"I will miss your combativeness in the debate," wrote D66 party leader Rob Jetten on X. He thanks her for her "hard parliamentary work for a more social Netherlands."

Dank Lilian, voor je noeste parlementaire arbeid voor een socialer Nederland. Je strijdvaardigheid in het debat ga ik missen. Het ga je goed! https://t.co/BmbX5cgRGh

— Rob Jetten (@RobJetten) December 9, 2023

Various MPs from GL-PvdA, such as Jesse Klaver, thanked Marijnissen for her "unwavering commitment to public affairs and cooperation in recent years". Klaver called it a "courageous decision" by the socialist. Jan Paternotte (D66) thanked Marijnissen for "all the hard work and the great cooperation".

Former SP member Renske Leijten thanked Marijnissen on X for her "endless efforts in recent years."