Esther Ouwehand steps down as Partij voor de Dieren leader after seven years

After almost seven years at the helm of the Partij voor de Dieren, Esther Ouwehand has announced that she is stepping down as party leader. While relinquishing the leadership role, she will continue serving as an MP. The party's parliamentary group will now be led by Christine Teunissen, who succeeds Ouwehand as faction chair.

Ouwehand is stepping down because, according to her, the party has entered a new phase. “That I have been able to make this decision, and that a strong and experienced MP like Christine is ready to take over, underlines the mature and healthy party we are now.”

Her time as leader was marked by internal turmoil, including party infighting, an attempt by the executive board to replace her as top candidate, and a split within the Senate faction. Ouwehand said her approach “met resistance from a small number of people within the party. It was a struggle worth engaging in, but it also demanded a lot from me.”

“I am extremely happy with the enormous support I feel from Esther and the rest of the party,” Teunissen said. “The Partij voor de Dieren is needed more than ever. This is a decisive time. It is precisely now that it is absolutely essential that we continue to stand up for everything that is vulnerable.” She has previously replaced Ouwehand as parliamentary leader on several occasions when she was ill.

Shortly after Ouwehand took leadership of the parliamentary group in 2019, party chair Sebastiaan Wolswinkel was pushed out. He had called for a discussion on the party’s strategic direction following the departure of MP Femke Merel van Kooten, who left the faction while retaining her seat. Ouwehand at the time insisted that there was no need for a debate about the party’s course.

Ouwehand later rose to become both party leader and top candidate. In the run-up to the elections three years later, the party board unexpectedly attempted to strip her of the lead candidacy, citing alleged integrity concerns. Ouwehand ultimately prevailed in that internal conflict. Tensions within the parliamentary group persisted, however, leading to the departure of Leonie Vestering from the faction.

Nico Koffeman also became involved in the internal power struggle. He opposed Ouwehand’s push to professionalise the party and move it closer to governing responsibilities. Last year, Koffeman split from the party just a week before the elections. The tensions were fuelled by disagreements over the parliamentary group’s support for increased defense spending, which sparked broader debate within the party.

The party managed to retain its three seats in the elections. Ouwehand has been in parliament for around 20 years and now aims to push legislation through both chambers on ending intensive livestock farming and reducing animal suffering during slaughter.