The Netherlands: Diederik Samson elected new Dutch Labor Party leader

Diederik Samson

MP Diederik Samsom was elected the new leader of the Dutch Labor Party. He won with 54 percent of the vote in the first round of a members’ poll. Former culture minister Ronald Plasterk came second with 31.6 percent.

The 40-year-old MP has been a parliamentarian since 2003. He succeeds Job Cohen, who stepped down following continuous criticism of his weak and often unappreciated bi-partisan leadership.

Immediately following his election win Mr. Samson announced he would be on the attack against what he saw as “foolish and sometimes outright indecent cabinet policies" of the present Dutch Government headed by conservative Mark Rutte, supported by the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim PVV party of Geert Wilders.

Following his win Mr Samson was officially crowned the leader of the Labor Party today during a festive party congress in Rotterdam.

The other candidates in the labor party leadership race, Nebahat Albayrak ( a Dutch citizen from Turkish descent), Ronald Plasterk, Martijn van Dam and Lutz Jacobi all said they would back Samson’s leadership.

In his acceptance speech in Rotterdam today Samson told party members "Labor will only support the Rutte government in its European policy if it adopts a more pro-European stance". Samson said,“Europe should once again become a project of hope and also a social project, that goes well beyond markets and money”.

The Rutte minority government could face some stormy weather ahead. In the past it had always relied on Labor and other opposition parties for support when it came to their European policy, rather than on that of  its official ally, the Freedom Party of Geert Wilders, which sees Europe as a source of unwelcome immigrants and costly commitments.

EU-Digest