The House of Representatives greeted SP Renske Leijten, who is closing the door to Hague politics after 17 years. For years she has fought, among other things, for the benefits of parents, who must not be sad about her departure. “I will continue to fight with them.”
Leijten had been in the House of Representatives since 2006, after the sensational victory obtained at the time by the PS under the leadership of Jan Marijnissen. She was asked by Marijnissen to preside over ROOD, the youth branch of the PS, and that’s how she ended up in 9th place in the list of candidates. Since then she has become known mainly for her role as a spokesman for the benefit affair, together with “comrade” Pieter Omtzigt and later with MEP DENK Azarkan.
“I told Jan Marijnissen: we are looking for another place for me in society where I can invent things”
After her first few weeks in The Hague, she would not have believed it possible that Leijten could last so long in politics. ‘When I arrived seventeen years ago I really had no idea. I was really a naive little bird and after a year I thought: what am I doing here? Then I told Jan Marijnissen: We are looking for another place for me in society where I can really shake things up,’ says Leijten in a conversation with political journalist Mats Akkerman.
Act
In the end, it didn’t come that far, as Marijnissen made some minor changes to her role as a Member of Parliament at the time. “He and the faction chose to make me a sort of off-duty MP, so that I could take action on home care that had just been decentralized.”
Marijnissen’s idea proved successful. “He has shown me the tremendous power you have when you organize people and take action outside parliament, while being able to speak in parliament at the same time. Then I had fun and did it to the end,” said the outgoing deputy.
Parental allowance
The fact that Leijten is now leaving the Chamber does not mean that she will no longer be involved in the affair of parental benefits and benefits. ‘I remain at their disposal. I am also sure that whoever will address this matter in the Chamber on behalf of the PS, but also CDA deputies and Pieter Omtzigt, will still be there for them. I won’t do it again as spokesman in the Chamber, but I’m certainly not leaving for them.’
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
