At GroenLinks, 19,000 of 21,000 eligible voters voted for the joint list, which is 91.8% good. There was also a large majority in the PvdA: 22,000 of the 25,000 votes were for connection, which itself accounted for 87.9%. “Both parties therefore voted by a large majority in favor of cooperation,” Akkerman points out. “The results were also both declared valid, which means that the two parties will go to the elections with a common programme, a common list of candidates and a common leader.”
‘It’s no surprise’
And that was in line with expectations, Akkerman says. More so when the leader of GroenLinks joined the PvdA. “It’s not really a surprise, but there was definitely tension in the room,” he continues. ‘When the results came out, it really had to come out of an envelope. The subsequent reaction from the audience was truly frantic.’
Voters against
However, PvdA president Esther-Mirjam Sent reflected on the opponents, whom she described as “involved and loyal”. “I see it as our job to allay your concerns,” the party chairman said.
Last week, members of both parties were able to vote for or against further cooperation ahead of the November 22 elections due to the fall of the government. In the Senate, the parties have recently formed into a single faction.
Who will lead the combined list is still unknown. Neither PvdA leader Attje Kuiken nor GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver wanted to preempt it.