Labour-mayors push Rotterdam mayor to run for party leadership

Thirteen PvdA mayors called on their colleague Ahmed Aboutaleb to run for PvdA leadership. "The party needs you", the mayors wrote in an open letter addressed to the Rotterdam Mayor in the Volkskrant on Saturday. According to the Mayors, the Netherlands needs someone who can unite people on topics like freedom, responsibility and solidarity. And Aboutaleb is just the man for the job, they feel. "The country needs a leader that feels the thermals in today's society and that combines and strengthens the good forces, but also sharply guards the borders of our constitutional state." The 13 mayors thinks Aboutaleb can be a party leader who is "firmly rooted in the local society and knows what is going on with people and knows how to translate that into good policy." On Saturday Aboutaleb declined to comment on the letter, which was signed by, among others Breda mayor Paul Depla and Tilburg mayor Peter Noordanus. In June Aboutaleb stated that he will not set himself up as candidate because he wants to be loyal to current party leader Diederik Samsom.