At the top of the VVD candidate list for the parliamentary elections are many experienced politicians from The Hague. After party leader Dilan Yesilgöz (now outgoing Minister of Justice), the draft list includes sitting MPs Sophie Hermans and Bente Becker in second and third places.
State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Justice) is fourth and Minister Christianne van der Wal (Nature and Nitrogen) is fifth. Both ministers have never been in the House of Representatives before.
The top 10 of the list also consists of MPs Ruben Brekelmans and Eelco Heinen, State Secretary Aukje de Vries of Allowances and Customs, MP and first vice-chairman of the House Roelien Kamminga and Minister Mariëlle Paul for Primary Education.
Highest ‘non-Hague’ newcomer
The highest newcomer without experience in The Hague is Hester Veltman-Kamp. The former VVD faction leader and councilor from Ede comes in sixteenth place. Wendy van Eijk-Nagel, councilor in Weert, is seventeen and Claire Martens, group leader in the Amsterdam city council, is twenty. As in previous elections, swimmer Maarten van der Weijden is the list pusher.
Several VVD MPs have previously announced that they will not be returning. Among them is tax spokesman Folkert Idsinga. He left the Chamber with immediate effect this week. Of the current faction members, eight will no longer be on the list.
Many sitting ministers are also not on the list. In addition to outgoing party leader Mark Rutte, Mark Harbers (now Minister of Infrastructure), among others, will not return as a Member of Parliament.
The VVD won 34 seats in the previous elections, making it by far the largest party. In the most recent Peilingwijzer (a weighted average of two polls), the party has 22 to 27 seats. The VVD members will be able to vote on the list of candidates for the House in the near future, after which it will be final.
