European Commission Vice-President and former Foreign Affairs Minister Frans Timmermans (62) is standing as a candidate to become leader of the new PvdA/GroenLinks progressive coaltion in the Dutch parliamentary elections on 22 November.
Timmermans confirmed the news to public broadcaster NOS on Thursday afternoon. "I want to become Prime Minister because I think that together we can do politics in a different way than has happened in recent years," Timmermans said.
The EU chief also believes politics can once again ensure that the market serves people and not just the powerful, adding that society can be shaped "more fairly". "I believe in that and I also think the Netherlands is very much in need of that," he said.
Timmermans is currently the face of the European Commission's climate policy. He was appointed by President Ursula von der Leyen to implement the Green Deal, the plan to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050. In the previous legislature during the Juncker Commission, Timmermans was also vice-president and his duties included ensuring that EU Member States complied with the rule of law.
European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans meets the 'Kruiwagenmars' protest action, outside a plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday 31 May 2023. Credit: Belga / James Arthur Gekiere
If Timmermans returns to the Netherland, this would end a nine-year stay working in EU politics. Before that, between 2012 and 2014, he was Dutch foreign minister. According to de Volkskrant, Timmermans has already informed Commission President Von der Leyen of his imminent departure.
On Monday, it became known that members of PvdA and GroenLinks massively endorsed the two parties' cooperation. Timmermans, as candidate list leader, would be supported by the other prominent figures of both parties.
Just Thursday morning, the results of a poll (conducted by i&o research) were released, showing that together, PvdA and GroenLinks would capture 17% of the vote, and therefore winning the election - ahead of the VVD and the BoerBurger Movement. "With the joint list of PvdA and GroenLinks, this 'new party' is competing for power at a stroke," the research firm analysed.
Timmermans seems the favourite to succeed Mark Rutte as prime minister of the Netherlands, although this is only a poll. Should PvdA/GroenLinks end up in the opposition, Timmermans would lead the joint group in the Lower House as group leader "with great pleasure and dedication", he said. "But I hope the Dutch will give me the confidence that I can lead a cabinet that will really put the Netherlands on track."
