Kuiken (44) has been a member of the House of Representatives on behalf of the PvdA since 2006 and speaks about health care, among other things. After the departure of Diederik Samsom at the end of 2016, she had been acting party chairman for some time.
Other candidate
Nijboer was the first to report this week to succeed Lilianne Ploumen. Kuiken announced her candidacy on Wednesday. Ploumen unexpectedly resigned last week. She indicated that she would stop because she felt that the role of party leader did not suit her sufficiently. Van Ploumen said goodbye yesterday.
Kuiken will also lead the party in the coming years. Because Ploumen is then no longer in the House, eight PvdA MPs remain.
Kuiken is in favor of cooperation with GroenLinks, which intensified under Ploumen. But the way in which this should be done in the future is an issue that should also be discussed in both parties, she believes.
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‘Chick may be an in-between pope’
“Attje Kuiken is dyed in the wool as a Member of Parliament and that is necessary,” says political reporter Roel Schreinemachers. “Her most important task is now to give color to the PvdA faction, which was often invisible last year with Ploumen at the helm. Certainly in a Chamber with so many opposition parties, you don’t count if you don’t have much of your own as party chairman. let hear.”
“Kuiken is entrusted with that,” continues Schreinemachers. “There is still a long way to go before the next elections and it is her job to make sure that the PvdA matters. For a real revival of the PvdA, many have pinned their hopes on Frans Timmermans, Ahmed Aboutaleb or Marjolein Moorman.”
“Many in the party hope that one of them will stand as a candidate when elections are approaching, because Kuiken is still seen as an interim pope. He may be able to give the PvdA some face again, but does not have the appeal to regain all seats. which the party has lost in recent years.”
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