Yseelgoz is under pressure and facing an internal storm that threatens her leadership of the VVD party.
Dilan Yesilgöz is facing increasing pressure within the VVD party, amid declining poll results and repeated objections from members, despite party leaders confirming their support for her leadership during the upcoming general elections scheduled for October 29, 2025. The latest polls indicate that VVD has dropped to third place, while the CDA party is gaining momentum under the leadership of Henri Bontenbal, threatening to push the liberals down to fourth place.
In the past few weeks, criticism has piled up against Yesilgöz due to her shift towards the far-right PVV party and her handling of the singer Dua Lipa crisis. Several party members have identified around 30 strategic mistakes in her leadership through a private WhatsApp group. Nevertheless, senior VVD leaders emphasized that she will remain in office, and former minister Henk Kamp confirmed that she will focus on the election campaign and successfully led the asylum law through parliament. Fred Teeven and Ed Nijpels rejected the idea of replacing her, despite acknowledging the growing concern within the party.
In turn, Klaas Dijkhoff, a former party leader, pointed out that her provocative message on platform X regarding the D66 issue exacerbated the crisis. Maok Brasser, head of the youth wing JOVD, emphasized the importance of involving new voices within the leadership.
The party rules confirm that the leadership of Yasilghoz is protected, following its official confirmation at the party conference, especially since any attempt to remove it could be detrimental to the internal situation at this time.
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