The current group leader of DENK, Farid Azarkan, announced today that he will not be the party's list leader in the 2023 Lower House elections. This news comes as a shock to friend and foe alike. Even internally at DENK, people are surprised by this.
Azarkan and his party announced this news on X, the website that until today was called Twitter.
"I have been present in social debate for 15 years, I like to do something for society. The last 6.5 years as an MP with Denk, the last 3.5 as a political leader. It is now time for me to make a different choice and also to do other things," explains Azarkan.
Naturally, Azarkan's teammates reacted with shock. "This really touches me deeply and saddens me," said Stephan van Baarle, DENK's third MP. Tunahan Kuzu adds that the Lower House is losing a "colorful character."
Although Azarkan was not very popular in right-wing circles for a long time, he has gained much more respect in the last few years. Also because he was one of the three MPs who ensured that the Supplement affair came to the surface. He is working on that with Renske Leijten and Pieter Omtzigt.
It is notable that Leijten announced her departure earlier that Omtzigt's future plans are still unknown. If she also quits, the three Musketeers of the supplement affair have left. Strange. Especially when you consider that 90% of the other members of parliament are staying on.
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Caroline van der Plas (of BBB) also responded to Azarkan's announcement. While she says she often does not and quite often does agree with him on policy issues, she adds that he is one of "the best debaters" in the House and that his loss is a "loss of blood" for parliament and Dutch democracy.