Renske Leijten, once known as "the conscience of the House of Representatives" because of her role in the Toeslag scandal, is now outside politics. After eighteen years with the SP, she said goodbye, in search of who she is without the master pressure of politics. In a extensive interview with the FD the politician looks back on her time in The Hague.
Leijten,critical of power, was absent during the fall of Cabinet-Rutte IV and listened to the election results in her own home. Her nostalgia for politics was brief, but intense on the day after the election, when thePVV triumphed. Yet she refused to take on the leadership of the SP; it ended up being, as we know, Jimmy Dijk. Although it could have been done in theory, Leijten makes it clear she wouldn't want to. "I feel committed to the club and advise them, but it's fine. It's up to the next one now."
For eighteen years in the Hague bubble, Leijten distinguished herself as a member of parliament,best known for exposing the Toeslag scandal along with PieterOmtzigt. She made her decision to leave in February, guided by the fear of becoming ill or conflicted because of mounting frustrations.
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Leijtende shares in the interview her ambivalent feelings about the "half-sanctification" she and Omtzigt received. While she acknowledges the honorable nature of being an MP, she emphasizes that it should not become too personal. Her departure is a conscious choice, away from the "masterly pressure" she no longer wishes to experience.
Now,free from the political spotlight, Renske Leijten faces a new challenge. She is searching for her identity outside politics, freed from constant pressure and expectations. Her time as "the conscience of the Lower House" has shaped her, but now she is especially in need of time for herself.