Within a few hours it should be clear how PvdA and GroenLinks are joining forces. “This is such a fundamental choice that you have to leave it up to the members,” says Klusman. He hopes for a strong mandate, with a turnout of at least thirty to forty percent of the members. In a comparable vote for the provincial council election, he was even lower.
‘Everyone was surprised how quickly a list, a program and a party leader suddenly had to be chosen’
First step towards a merger
For Klusman himself it is clear: ‘To enter the elections together, with a list, a leader and a common programme. That would be the ideal solution.’ As far as he’s concerned, it should also be a stepping stone towards a full-blown merger. “I suspect it’s not being talked about in that wording yet, because the message has to be delivered slowly. Also, everyone was surprised how quickly a list, a program and a party leader suddenly had to be selected.’
Marjolein Moorman or Frans Timmermans?
As for the latter, according to Klusman, decisions must be made quickly. Two names are making the rounds: Amsterdam councilor Marjolein Moorman and European commissioner and committee vice-president Von der Leyen. Frans Timmermann. “The problem is that both are from the PvdA,” says Klusman.
However, he assumes both could receive support from the green base. ‘Timmermans with its green profile that he built in Europe. Moorman as a young woman and reasonable outsider in The Hague». Klusman believes that a decision needs to be made this week whether the parties will indeed participate together in national elections.