The supervisory board will appoint an interim party board that will prepare for the member’s Congress that will discuss an evaluation report that is currently being prepared by ex-MP, Andree van Es, a current alderman in Amsterdam and a very highly respected politician. The Congress will also elect a new party board.
The recent electoral defeat of GroenLinks in the Netherlands in the last national elections has taken its toll. Jolande Sap, party leader, stepped down on Friday, followed by the resignation of the party board at the Party Council on Saturday. They resigned after mounting dissent and discontent that was partially expressed through the media, and have given the opportunity for a new direction for the party, led by a fresh and invigorated team.
Yesterday, the GroenLinks parliamentary group elected Bram van Ojik as its new leader. He is a long-standing member of GroenLinks who recently chaired the process that defined the future perspectives of the party. More than anyone else, van Ojik is considered able to unite the parliamentary group with the party base and revive the image of GroenLinks with his mature, humorous and politically intelligent way of operating.
GroenLinks result was the poorest result since their first election in 1989. They went from 10 to four seats in the second chamber of the national parliament. The recent leadership struggle was considered partially responsible for this result. Sap felt she had to resign because she no longer had the confidence of the party board that she would be able to steer the party from the current setback.
The party board felt the party needed, at this moment, a new leadership to revive the party with new vitality and therefore resigned as well. The moves have given space for new people and has put closure on a difficult period for the party.
The supervisory board will appoint an interim party board that will prepare for the member’s Congress that will discuss an evaluation report that is currently being prepared by ex-MP, Andree van Es, a current alderman in Amsterdam and a very highly respected politician. The Congress will also elect a new party board.
The analysis of the causes of the current position of GroenLinks and advice on the way forward, is now up to the evaluation commission, also headed by Andree van Es.
Although the recent happenings are not positive, the GroenLinks now has every chance to find its way back to the voters and regain the voters trust.
Luckily the strength of GroenLinks is based upon a very strong presence at the local level. GroenLinks participates in four out of the five major cities and has a strong electoral base and support on the local level.
