2002 Labour Party (Netherlands) leadership election

Last updated
2002 Labour Party leadership election
PvdA Logo small.svg
17 November 2002 (2002-11-17)
  Bos Dutch politician kabinet Balkenende IV.jpg Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven portrait.jpg
Candidate Wouter Bos Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven
Popular vote19,30310,129
Percentage60.56%31.78%

  KlaasDeVries2008.jpg Netherlands politic personality icon.svg
Candidate Klaas de Vries Jouke de Vries
Popular vote1508935
Percentage4.73%2.93%

Leader before election

Ad Melkert

Leader-elect

Wouter Bos

The 2002 Labour Party leadership election was called to elect the new Leader of the Labour Party after incumbent Ad Melkert announced his retirement from national politics. Wouter Bos the former Undersecretary for Finance beat the former Speaker of the House of Representatives Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven, former Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Klaas de Vries and public administration professor Jouke de Vries.

Between 6 and 12 November 2002 the 60,000 members of the Dutch social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) could vote for their preferred candidate for top candidate for the 2003 general election.

These elections were part of the reforms implemented by party chairperson Ruud Koole, after the 2002 elections. In addition to the top candidate for the elections to the House of Representatives, the top candidate for the Senate and leaders of the provincial councils were elected. All PvdA members could vote by mail or telephone.

The candidates for the election were Wouter Bos, former State Secretary for finance, the former President of the House of Representatives, Jeltsje van Nieuwenhoven, the former Minister of Home Affairs, Klaas de Vries and the Professor of public administration Jouke de Vries. The first three were member of the House of Representatives, while Jouke de Vries was an outsider candidate.

Wouter Bos was the first to announce his candidacy, just after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet. On 29 September 2002 Klaas de Vries announced his candidacy, claiming that the elections would be a sham if only Wouter Bos was a serious candidate. On 22 October, interim party-leader Jeltsje van Nieuwenhoven finally announced her candidacy.

The elections were won by a landslide by Wouter Bos. He won with 60% of the votes and a margin of 30%. 54% of the PvdA members voted.

Following the elections the PvdA made miraculous resurgence in the 2003 general elections, nearly doubling its seats and votes, this is partially credited to the charisma of Wouter Bos and the reform of the party under Ruud Koole

CandidateBornPosition(s) at that timeFormer position(s)
Bos Dutch politician kabinet Balkenende IV.jpg
Wouter Bos
14 July 1963
(age 39)
Member of the House of Representatives
(since 2002)
Member of the House of Representatives
(1998–2000)
State Secretary for Finance
(2000–2002)
Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven portrait.jpg
Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven
2 August 1943
(age 59)
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives
(since 2002)
Member of the House of Representatives
(since 1983)
Member of the House of Representatives
(1981–1983)
Speaker of the House of Representatives
(1998–2002)
KlaasDeVries2008.jpg
Klaas de Vries
28 April 1943
(age 59)
Member of the House of Representatives
(since 2002)
Member of the House of Representatives
(1973–1988)
Chairman of the Social and Economic Council
(1996–1998)
Minister of Social Affairs and Employment
(1998–2000)
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
(2000–2002)
Netherlands politic personality icon.svg
Jouke de Vries
26 September 1960
(age 42)

    Related Research Articles

    The Labour Party is a social democratic political party in the Netherlands.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Kok cabinet</span> Cabinet of the Netherlands, 1998 to 2002

    The second Kok cabinet, also called the second Purple cabinet, was the executive branch of the Dutch government from 3 August 1998 until 22 July 2002.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Wouter Bos</span> Dutch politician

    Wouter Jacob Bos is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and businessman.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ad Melkert</span> Dutch politician

    Adrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert is a Dutch politician and diplomat of the Labour Party (PvdA) who has served as a Member of the Council of State since 20 January 2016.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Job Cohen</span> Dutch politician (born 1947)

    Marius Job Cohen is a retired Dutch politician and jurist who served as Mayor of Amsterdam from 2001 to 2010 and Leader of the Labour Party (PvdA) from 2010 to 2012.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Dutch general election</span>

    General elections were held in the Netherlands on 22 November 2006, following the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet. The election proved relatively successful for the governing Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) which remained the largest party with 41 seats, a loss of only three seats. The largest increase in seats was for the Socialist Party (SP), which went from nine to 25 seats. The main opposition party, the social democratic Labour Party (PvdA) lost nine of its 42 seats, while the right-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the progressive liberal Democrats 66 lost a considerable portion of their seats, six of 28 and three of six, respectively. New parties, such as the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) of former VVD MP Geert Wilders and the animal rights party Party for the Animals (PvdD) were also successful, with the PVV winning nine seats and the PvdD winning two, thereby becoming the first animal rights group to enter a European parliament.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">First Kok cabinet</span> Cabinet of the Netherlands, 1994 to 1998

    The first Kok cabinet, also called the first Purple cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch government from 22 August 1994 until 3 August 1998. The cabinet was formed by the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA), the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the social-liberal Democrats 66 after the election of 1994. The cabinet was a centrist grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Labour Leader Wim Kok serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Liberal politician Hans Dijkstal served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, while Progressive-Liberal Leader Hans van Mierlo served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Lubbers cabinet</span> Cabinet of the Netherlands, 1989 to 1994

    The Third Lubbers cabinet, also called the Lubbers–Kok cabinet, was the executive branch of the Dutch government from 7 November 1989 to 22 August 1994. The cabinet was formed the christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the election of 1989. The cabinet was a centrist grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Christian-Democratic Leader Ruud Lubbers serving as Prime Minister. Labour Leader Wim Kok served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Klaas de Vries (Labour Party)</span> Dutch politician (born 1943)

    Klaas George de Vries is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and jurist.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Dutch municipal elections</span> Dutch municipal elections

    Municipal elections were held in the Netherlands on 7 March 2006. About 11.8 million people could vote in 419 municipalities. Due to municipal reorganisations, 15 municipalities held elections in January 2006 and 24 municipalities held elections in November 2006. In some cities, such as Amsterdam, there were two elections, for the municipality and for the borough councils.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Diederik Samsom</span> Dutch environmentalist and retired politician

    Diederik Maarten Samsom is a Dutch environmentalist and retired politician who was the leader of the Labour Party from 2012 to 2016. He was the first leader in the 70-year history of the PvdA to have been voted out of his position by party members. He later served as head of cabinet for First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and his successor Wopke Hoekstra.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven</span> Dutch librarian and politician (born 1943)

    Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and librarian.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy leadership election</span>

    The 2006 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy leadership election was called to elect the new Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy after incumbent Jozias van Aartsen announced his retirement from national politics. Mark Rutte the State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science closely beat Rita Verdonk the Minister for Integration, Immigration and Asylum Affairs and backbencher Member of the House of Representatives Jelleke Veenendaal.

    Following the 2006 Dutch general election, held on November 22, a process of cabinet formation started, involving negotiations about which coalition partners to form a common programme of policy and to divide the posts in cabinet. On February 22, 2007 it resulted in the formation of the Fourth Balkenende cabinet.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Balkenende cabinet</span> Cabinet of the Netherlands, 2007 to 2010

    The fourth Balkenende cabinet was the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands from 22 February 2007 until 14 October 2010. The cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and Christian Union (CU) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the election of 2006. The cabinet was a centrist grand coalition and had a slim majority in the House of Representatives with Christian Democratic Leader Jan Peter Balkenende serving as prime minister. Labour Leader Wouter Bos served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance while Social Christian Leader André Rouvoet served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio for Health, Welfare and Sport.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Tichelaar</span> Dutch politician

    Jacques Tichelaar is a Dutch politician and former trade union leader and educator. He is a member of the Labour Party. Since 1 May 2009 he had been the King's Commissioner in the province of Drenthe. He resigned on 1 March 2017.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Lodewijk Asscher</span> Dutch politician

    Lodewijk Frans Asscher is a Dutch politician and jurist who served as Leader of the Labour Party (PvdA) from 2016 to 2021 and parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives from 2017 to 2021.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jouke de Vries</span> Dutch political scientist and politician

    Jouke de Vries is a Dutch political scientist, university administrator, and politician. He is chairman of the Executive Board of the University of Groningen (RUG) in the Netherlands. Before that he was Dean of the University of Groningen/Campus Fryslân in Leeuwarden.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Labour Party (Netherlands) leadership election</span>

    The 2012 Labour Party leadership election was called to elect the new Leader of the Labour Party after incumbent Job Cohen announced his retirement from national politics. Cohen had been the leader of the party since 25 April 2010 after the resignation of Wouter Bos. Diederik Samsom a Member of the House of Representatives beat former Minister of Education, Culture and Science Ronald Plasterk, former Undersecretary for Justice Nebahat Albayrak, Member of the House of Representatives Martijn van Dam, and backbencher Member of the House of Representatives Lutz Jacobi with 54.0% of the votes.