VVD Senator quits party over policy disagreements, keeps seat as independent

Cees van de Sanden is leaving the VVD faction in the Senate. In a statement, he says, “Over the years, the VVD has moved further away from its liberal core principles.” He will retain his seat and serve as an independent senator in the Eerste Kamer, also known as the Dutch Senate. With his departure, the VVD now has nine seats left in the Eerste Kamer.

He says he can no longer align himself with the party’s direction. “Measures like backing emergency asylum policies, the Uganda plan, banning motorcycle gangs without court oversight, and the Antifa motion clash with the principles of freedom, equality, and the rule of law. I can no longer reconcile these policies with my own liberal values.”

VVD Senate leader Tanja Klip-Martin, who came second in the election for chair of the Eerste Kamer on Tuesday, says that Van de Sanden notified other members of the party on Wednesday morning. “I was completely taken aback by his decision. I regret both his choice and his plan to retain his VVD seat.”

Van de Sanden has served as a VVD senator for slightly over two years. He says he raised his concerns and proposals internally, but they did not result in any shift in the party’s direction. As an independent senator, he says, “my liberal compass and dedication to the core principles of liberalism and the rule of law will guide my work.”

Speaking to de Volkskrant, he explained that he didn’t want to wait until after the elections. “There’s no ideal timing for this. Eventually, you reach your limit. That moment has come now.”

The party, led by Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, is struggling in the polls ahead of the elections scheduled for October 29 to determine the politicians that will sit in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament. In some polls, the party is projected to hold just 13 seats, compared to the 24 seats it won in the 2023 election.

The Tweede Kamer is comprised of 150 members in total, whereas the Eerste Kamer has 75 senators. The latter is determined by results from provincial elections held every four years, with the next expected to take place in 2027.