D66 member Frans van Drimmelen quits over stalking allegations

Prominent D66 member Frans van Drimmelen has temporarily resigned from consultancy firm Droge en Van Drimmelen. The firm announced this in a short statement on its website.

Van Drimmelen was discredited this weekend by a story in the Volkskrant. According to the newspaper, the influential D66 strategist was guilty of transgressive behavior in the past. The party leaders have had a confidential report with this conclusion for a year.

This part of the report, which said that Van Drimmelen stalked, threatened, and blackmailed a female colleague, was not included in a report on transgressive behavior within the D66 published last year.

"On Saturday, the Volkskrant referred in an article to an investigation by Bureau BING into border-crossing behavior within the D66, in which our colleague Frans is mentioned," the firm said. "The situation is extremely painful, sad, and harmful to all involved."

"Within our office, the partners have discussed the publication and the developments in this regard. After these consultations, we jointly decided that Frans will stop his activities for the time being."

The party’s board said on Sunday that it would take another look at the report. The board members planned to evaluate the documents "to see whether they may draw different conclusions than were previously made," the party said in a statement. D66 leader Sigrid Kaag has not yet responded to the reports.

In an open letter, city councilors, administrators and other active and inactive D66 members called on the party to quickly open up about matters. The signatories said they want the confidential report to be made public, but with some details anonymized. The signatories also want to hold a meeting within three weeks where the party leadership addresses questions about the issue, and can be held accountable.

The letter was signed more than 180 times by around 10 a.m. Monday.