VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz has said she wants to lead her party into the next general election, despite growing criticism from within its own membership. Speaking to NOS after a meeting with party members in Veghel, she answered “Yes, I am” when asked whether she is the logical choice as the VVD’s next lead candidate.
What happened
According to NOS, Yesilgöz made her ambitions clear in an interview following a VVD gathering in Veghel, in the province of Noord-Brabant. She has led the party since August 2023, when she succeeded Mark Rutte. In Dutch politics the lead candidate, or lijsttrekker, heads the party’s list at a general election and is usually its candidate for prime minister.
Her statement comes at a difficult moment. NOS reports that criticism of Yesilgöz and of the course set by the VVD leadership in The Hague has been growing among the party’s grassroots. The VVD is a governing party, but NOS says it is not doing particularly well in the polls. Former VVD politicians have also voiced their dissatisfaction in the newspapers.
The discontent grew sharper last week. NOS reports that the plans of the Jetten cabinet were substantially changed at the insistence of Pro and the trade unions, and that this caused considerable unhappiness among VVD supporters. One complaint was that the party had given in too quickly to pressure from Pro leader Klaver. That stung all the more because, during the campaign for the House of Representatives election, Yesilgöz had promised her voters she would not work with Pro, a party she considered too left-wing.
NOS also reports concerns among VVD members about changes to the tax on savings and investments, known as box 3. There is still no clarity on that issue.
In the interview, Yesilgöz said she does not enjoy the criticism, “not as a person either”. She did argue that the media give a disproportionate amount of attention to what happens inside the VVD. She said she did not want to wave the criticism away, but added that unrest within a party has always happened. She said she had experienced it as a municipal councillor, as a member of parliament and as a minister. “We are a party that loves to debate, and afterwards we move on,” she told NOS.
Yesilgöz described the meeting in Veghel with critical members from Noord-Brabant as “very good”. Together with Brekelmans, who leads the VVD group in the House of Representatives, she spent two hours answering questions from a room of about 150 members. In her view, the impression that the VVD “was rolling out a left-wing agenda” is unjustified.
She also set out how she sees cooperation with other parties. Yesilgöz stressed that she is willing to work with Pro, but only if the right-wing party JA21 is involved as well. “We do want to work with Pro, but not without the right,” she said. She then added that cooperation with Pro alone might be possible on specific issues, such as the nitrogen plans.
Why it matters if you live in Netherlands
The VVD is part of the current government, so tension inside the party can affect how the Jetten cabinet works. NOS reports that the cabinet’s plans have already been changed significantly after pressure from Pro and the unions. Anyone following how government policy will affect their work or household should watch whether the VVD holds to these compromises or pushes back under pressure from its members.
The box 3 question is directly relevant to residents with savings or investments. Box 3 is the part of the Dutch income tax system that covers wealth. NOS reports that VVD members are worried about changes to it and that there is still no clarity. If you hold savings, shares or a second property in the Netherlands, it is worth keeping an eye on how this develops.
For those who can vote in Dutch national elections, Yesilgöz’s statement gives an early signal about who would lead one of the country’s largest parties next time. Her comments on working with Pro and JA21 also show which coalitions the VVD leadership currently considers acceptable. The nitrogen plans, which she named as a possible area of cooperation with Pro, affect farming, construction and infrastructure projects across the country.
What to watch next
The next key moment is the VVD party congress at the end of November. According to NOS, that is when it should become clearer whether the party leadership has managed to reassure its critical members about its approach.
Other things to follow are the VVD’s position in the polls, any further public criticism from former party figures, and whether the cabinet brings more clarity on the box 3 changes. How the VVD works with Pro in the coming weeks, including on nitrogen policy, will also show whether Yesilgöz can keep both her coalition partners and her own members on side.
Source: NOS Politiek
Sources
- NOS Politiek: Yesilgöz ondanks kritiek: 'Ik ben volgende lijsttrekker van VVD', accessed 10 October 2026
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