Diederik Samsom
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Diederik Maarten Samsom (; born 10 July 1971) is a Dutch environmentalist and retired politician who served the Labour Party (''Partij van de Arbeid'' PvdA) 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. Since November 2019 Samsom is head of cabinet for
First Vice-President of the European Commission A Vice-President of the European Commission is a member of the European Commission who leads the commission's work in particular focus areas in which multiple European Commissioners participate. Currently, the European Commission has a total of ...
Frans Timmermans Frans is an Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish given name, sometimes as a short form of ''François''. One cognate of Frans in English is '' Francis''. Given name * Frans van Aarssens (1572–1641), Dutch diplo ...
. Elected to the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
between 30 January 2003 and 14 December 2016, he was elected PvdA
parliamentary leader A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are their ...
as well as party leader on 16 March 2012. He lost the Labour Party leadership election to
Lodewijk Asscher Lodewijk Frans Asscher (; born 27 September 1974) 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. Asscher worked as ...
in December 2016. Before his election to the House of Representatives he was CEO of a green energy company and a campaigner for Greenpeace Netherlands.


Early life and career

Diederik Maarten Samsom was born on 10 July 1971 in Groningen in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. He was raised in
Leeuwarden Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Stadsfries dialects, Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in Fri ...
. His father worked as an internist and his mother as a
physiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patien ...
. Between 1983 and 1989, he attended the Stedelijk Gymnasium (Municipal Gymnasium) in
Leeuwarden Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Stadsfries dialects, Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in Fri ...
. There he became interested in physics, and later he went on to study
applied physics Applied physics is the application of physics to solve scientific or engineering problems. It is usually considered to be a bridge or a connection between physics and engineering. "Applied" is distinguished from "pure" by a subtle combination ...
at
Delft University of Technology Delft University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Delft), also known as TU Delft, is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings among ...
. Samsom specialised in
nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...
and became a level three radiation protection expert. He graduated in May 1997, obtaining a Dutch engineer's degree ( nl, ingenieur, links=no).The title "ir." is like the international engineer's degree. He was also on the board of the national students' union LSVb and edited a yearly edition of the ''Poenboek'', a students' guide relating to monetary issues. Samsom had been involved in environmental issues long before entering politics. Samsom joined environmental organisation Greenpeace Netherlands in September 1995 as a volunteer. He led several campaigns and projects until he resigned in December 2001, after the PvdA offered him a career in politics. He also worked as the CEO of Echte Energie (Real Energy), a small
green energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...
trading company, from August 2002 until January 2003.


Political career

Samsom became a member of the social democratic Labour party while a student in Delft. He left the party but rejoined in February 2001. He stood as a candidate in the
2002 Dutch general election General elections were held in the Netherlands on 15 May 2002.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1396 The elections were amongst the most dramatic in Dutch history, not just in terms of the electoral ...
, but was not elected due to the PvdA receiving insufficient votes in the election. The party regained most of its seats in the 2003 election and this time Samsom had a higher position (nine) on the list of candidates. He was subsequently sworn in as a member of the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
on 30 January 2003.


Red Engineer

Together with fellow PvdA parliamentarians Staf Depla and
Jeroen Dijsselbloem Jeroen René Victor Anton Dijsselbloem (; born 29 March 1966) is a Dutch politician and economist serving as Mayor of Eindhoven since 13 September 2022, succeeding John Jorritsma (VVD). A member of the Labour Party (PvdA), he has also been Ch ...
he traveled around the country campaigning. They operated under the name ''The Red Engineers'' ( nl, De rode ingenieurs), referring to both their scientific backgrounds and their red overalls. NRC newspaper editor Coen van Zwol called their campaign ''fresh, clear and sharp'' (Dutch: fris, helder en scherp).


Parliamentarian

Before being admitted as the leader of the Labour party, Samsom was the party's spokesperson on environmental issues: sustainability,
climate and energy In the 21st century, the earth's climate and its energy policy interact and their relationship is studied and governed by a variety of national and international institutions. The relationships between energy-resource depletion, climate change, ...
, traffic congestion and railway issues and projects. He was nineteenth on the list of candidates in the
2006 Dutch general election General elections were held in the Netherlands on 22 November 2006 following the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet. The elections proved relatively successful for the governing Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) which remained the largest par ...
s receiving a relative high number of 6248 preferential votes.


2008 parliamentary chair election

In April 2008, Samsom was a candidate to succeed Jacques Tichelaar as parliament party leader, but eventually he lost the vote to
Mariëtte Hamer Mariëtte Iris Hamer (born 7 June 1958) is a Dutch politician and trade union leader serving as commissioner for combating inappropriate behavior and sexual violence since 2022. A member of the Labour Party (PvdA), she was its leader in the Hous ...
. Jacques Tichelaar became the leader of the parliamentary party shortly after the 2006 general election in February 2007 but fell ill in January 2008. He underwent a septuple bypass surgery and this took him three months to recuperate. On 16 April, he announced he had decided to resign from office for health reasons. Tichelaar planned to return as a parliamentarian on 1 July 2008. As vice parliamentary leader Hamer had led the party in Tichelaar's absence. The next day she decided to run for office. Three days later, Samsom officially announced that he would also compete in the race. Other names were mentioned, but only Samsom and Hamer decided to vie for the position. All 33 PvdA parliamentarians gathered two days later to discuss the position and cast their votes, resulting in a victory for Hamer. According to pollster
Maurice de Hond Maurice de Hond (born 8 October 1947) is a Dutch pollster, accused of defamation and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the Steve JobsSchool, an elementary school which gives each student an iPad to encourage individualized learning. As of 2016, ...
, a majority of the 2006 Labour voters preferred Samsom as party leader. Out of a total of 1,500 Labour voters, 26% favoured Hamer while 42% liked Samsom better. In this poll, of the people who indicated that they would vote for the PvdA in the future, a small majority of 40 to 35 preferred Samsom.


Party leadership

On 22 February 2012, following
Job Cohen Marius Job Cohen (; born 18 October 1947) 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. Cohen studied Law at the University of Groningen obt ...
's resignation as party leader, Samsom stood as candidate in the party's leadership ballot which was held among the party members. On 16 March 2012, he obtained a landslide victory with 54% of the vote, with the runner-up Ronald Plasterk receiving 32% of the vote. Samsom stated he would like to become
prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
should the PvdA become the largest party, or otherwise continue his role of chairman of his party in the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer).


Rutte II: coalition government

In the 2012 general election the PvdA, under Samsom's leadership, gained 8 seats and totaled at 38 seats in the Tweede Kamer. After a swift negotiations the PvdA, as second largest party, entered into a coalition with the largest party the VVD. Samsom remained chairman of the PvdA in the Tweede Kamer and
Lodewijk Asscher Lodewijk Frans Asscher (; born 27 September 1974) 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. Asscher worked as ...
became vicepremier and minister for Social Affairs and Employment on behalf of the PvdA.


EU-Turkey refugee deal

During the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union in early 2016, Diederik Samsom is credited with masterminding a key provision in the deal between the EU and Turkey. The deal aimed to mitigate the mounting humanitarian crisis in the refugee camps on the Greek islands. Under the provision, for every Syrian refugee being returned to Turkey from the Greek islands, another Syrian would be resettled from Turkey to the EU.


2017 elections: resignation

Polls suggest that the Labour party lost most of its electoral base while Samsom was in charge. On 9 December 2016 Samson lost the leadership of the Labour Party in an election against
Lodewijk Asscher Lodewijk Frans Asscher (; born 27 September 1974) 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. Asscher worked as ...
. He obtained 45,5% of the vote. Samson resigned from the House of Representatives on 14 December, and was replaced by Rien van der Velde.
Attje Kuiken Attje Harma Kuiken (; born 27 October 1977) is a Dutch politician and former civil servant serving as the leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives since 22 April 2022. She has been a parliamentarian since 30 November 2006 with ...
took over the role of group leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on 12 December.


Media appearances

NRC newspaper referred to Samsom as ''quizking'' after he won his fifth televised game show. Particularly notable are his consecutive victories in the 2005 and 2006 National IQ Tests. According to the test, he has an IQ of 136. He also won the popular '' National News Quiz'' in 2005 and 2006 and in May 2008 he was crowned winner of the ''Big History Quiz''.


Personal life

Samsom was raised in a
non-religious Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and ant ...
family and considers himself an atheist. He is a non smoker and observes a
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...
diet. He cites swimming and
water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...
as his favourite sports. Samsom divorced in 2016 and has two children. His daughter Benthe was born in 2001 and his son Fane was born in 2006. Samsom mentioned them in several political debates and interviews in a for the Netherlands unprecedented and criticized way, including drawing attention to his daughter's
disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...
. He also involved his private life and family in his 2012 electoral campaign, most notably by featuring his two children in an official party
TV advertisement A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
. Samsom lived on a houseboat in
Broek in Waterland Broek in Waterland is a village in the province of North Holland, Netherlands with a population of about 2,745 inhabitants as of 2021. It is a part of the municipality of Waterland, and is situated about 8 km south of Purmerend and 8 k ...
with his ex-wife (then girlfriend) and daughter before moving to
Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wi ...
, where he still resides as of 2012. In a 2012 interview with Marie Claire, Samsom admitted that before his marriage he had been unfaithful "''perhaps once or twice''".


References


External links

*
Diederik Samsom
at the website of the Labour Party *
Diederik Samsom
at the website of the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
*
parlement.com biography
* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Samsom, Diederik 1971 births Anti-globalization activists Delft University of Technology alumni Dutch activists Dutch atheists Dutch chief executives Dutch engineers Dutch environmentalists Dutch nuclear physicists Labour Party (Netherlands) politicians Living people Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Leaders of the Labour Party (Netherlands) People associated with Greenpeace Politicians from Groningen (city) People from Leeuwarden 21st-century Dutch politicians