Diederik Samsom, the former leader of Dutch Labour party PvdA, will step down from his role at the European Commission. Samsom is the current Head of Cabinet to European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, a role he also held for Hoekstra's predecessor, Frans Timmermans. His departure was confirmed by Hoekstra's office to both NOS and ANP.
SUE REID: Amid the tranquil land of tulips, canals and windmills, there was a political earthquake this week that sent reverberations throughout the EU.
Dutch voters go to the polls on Nov. 22 to choose a new government in a parliamentary election, with three major groupings vying to propose the next prime minister. Leading in opinion polls are the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the newly formed "New Social Contract" (NSC) Party and the Labour and Green Left (PvdA/GL) parties running on a single ticket. Turkish-born Yesilgoz, 46, narrowly ahead in recent polls, has a shot at becoming the Netherlands' first woman prime minister.
Factbox-Dutch PM Candidates Include Turkish Immigrant, Radical Centrist , EU Veteran usnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from usnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.