Sylvana Simons, Farid Azarkan both announce national politics exits

Two more political party leaders in the Netherlands announced on Monday their intention to exit national politics. Sylvana Simons, who leads BIJ1, and DENK's Farid Azarkan said they will step aside.

Simons will not lead her party into the parliamentary elections on November 22, she told de Volkskrant. During the 2021 election, she secured one seat in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, for her party.

Simons said the most immediate motivation to stop as party leader is the departure of two Amsterdam city council members, who resigned from BIJ1 last week, but will retain control of their seat on the council as independent politicians.

In an interview with NRC, they complained about a "structurally unsafe work environment" within the party. They also said that Simons, as a political leader, has not done enough to address those persistent complaints.

Simons told the Volkskrant that she would have to prepare herself to defend her leadership against false portrayals of her. "I can, but I don't want to anymore." In addition, she has been struggling with health problems for an extended period, which is also playing more of a factor than before. "I am also making this decision for the sake of my well-being. I look forward to resting."

DENK leader Azarkan leaving national politics

Farid Azarkan will also stop as political leader of DENK. The parties current Tweede Kamer faction leader will not be available as party leader in the November 22 elections, he said in a video that his party posted on Twitter.

"It is time for me to make a different choice and do other things," said Azarkan, who has been a member of parliament for DENK since 2017, and became party chair in March 2020. He was not immediately available to provide an explanation for his decision.

Azarkan said he is confident that without him, DENK will be able to achieve a solid result in the elections. The party currently has three seats in the Tweede Kamer and participates in the coalition governments in Rotterdam and Schiedam. Azarkan described DENK as being "a lasting factor of significance" in national politics.

His period as a member of parliament, however difficult, has been "an adventure" that he "would not have wanted to miss for the world," Azarkan said. He is best known for his commitment to the victims of the tax office's childcare benefits scandal and his fight against racism and discrimination within government organizations.

His party members expressed praise for Azarkan. "The Tweede Kamer is losing a colorful character," said Tunahan Kuzu.

Stephan van Baarle said he felt like he was losing a "brother in arms," and not just a party leader. "This really touches me deeply and saddens me."