For Dutch people: how is he?
He’s not likely to embarrass us. Which is quite a plus these days.
Anyway, this is the first time in a decade that the PvdA, the Dutch labor party, signals they are actually interested in winning the elections. I’m curious to see how it shakes out.
Big ego, talks the talk, not sure if he’ll walk the walk. TBH, not a fan of TimmerFrans, but he does have experience. And a lot of experienced members of parliament are about to leave after the coming elections.
On the plus side, I do applaud the fact that two left-wing parties (GroenLinks and Timmermans’ PvdA (Green party and Labour Party)) have merged. The Second Chamber has become very fragmented with currently 21(!) parties among 150 members. More is not always better, imho.
As a Dutchman: good question haha. He’s been so busy achieving (good) things in the EU that I honestly didn’t really see that much of him in the general political discussion in the Netherlands. But as someone who usually votes GroenLinks or PvdA I do feel like he has more potential as a leader than the former party leaders of both. From everything he’s done so far he comes across as an experienced and calm leader who can unify the left and give us a shot at becoming the largest party in the new political landscape.
Thanks!
The former foreign minister.
Interesting. How is he perceived in the Netherlands?
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Frans Timmermans, the man tasked with spearheading the EU’s ambitious climate policies, has resigned from the Commission to return to Dutch politics in the hope of becoming the country’s next prime minister.
The alliance is currently leading in the polls with aggregator EU Elects favouring them with 17.1% of the votes, ahead of the centre-right VVD party of departing Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
“I thank Frans Timmermans for his passionate and tireless work to make the European Green Deal a reality,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
“Thanks to his excellent contribution and strong personal engagement, we have made great strides towards meeting the EU’s objectives to become the first climate-neutral continent, and towards raising the levels of climate ambition globally,” she added.
Timmermans announced his intention to run on behalf of a left-wing alliance of socialists and greens in the upcoming Dutch general election in July, following the unexpected collapse of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s coalition government.
His appointment means the EU’s climate policies will remain in the hands of a socialist, despite the scathing criticism of the main right-leaning European political group to which von der Leyen belongs towards the environmental initiatives led by Timmermans.
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