Dutch MEPs back Frans Timmermans for return to national politics

BRUSSELS — The prospect of EU Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans quitting Brussels and returning to Dutch politics increased Monday, when members of his Labor Party voted to fight an upcoming election in tandem with the Dutch Greens.

The two parties announced the decision after a vote by members in which 87.9 percent of Labor Party voters and 91.8 percent of Green-Left voters backed a joint campaign.

With broad convergence on policy, the next big question facing the new alignment is who they will pick to lead their list — and that ripple effect could reach Brussels. Timmermans, who has been leading work on the European Green Deal since 2019, received endorsements at home and in Brussels, while Dutch media speculates about his return.

“I support the candidacy of Frans Timmermans if he puts himself forward,” said senior Dutch Labor Party MEP Mohammed Chahim who is a vice-chair of the Socialists grouping in the European Parliament.

Chahim, who spearheaded the preservation of a key Green Deal nature law last week, said it was up to Timmermans to decide to leave the Commission and up to the party boards to make any decision but added: “We also need progressive leadership in the member states.”

Chahim’s colleague Thijs Reuten also backed Timmermans.

“I agree that he would be a very good candidate but he has to make that decision himself, and the party also has to make that decision,” said MEP Reuten.

Rumors that Timmermans might be eyeing a return to the national stage have been percolating since the collapse of the Dutch coalition government, which did not contain either of these two parties, 10 days ago.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte called a snap election for November 22 and then announced that he will quit politics, having led the country for 13 years, and having spent even longer as leader of his People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

Last week Timmermans refused to rule out a return to national politics, where he reached the position of foreign minister before becoming an EU commissioner in 2014.

“He’s not commenting on the developments in the Netherlands,” a spokesperson for Timmermans wrote to POLITICO after the announcement on Monday.

Green Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout celebrated the move, telling POLITICO by text: “We go against the tide of further fragmentation and show that stronger cooperation is the best way forward.”

According to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, the Green-Left is at 9 percent and the Labor Party is at 7 percent. At a combined 16 percent they would be the second largest party after the insurgent Farmer-Citizen Movement, or BBB.

Hanne Cokelaere contributed reporting.