Today’s news / Timmermanns to leave Commission
For almost a decade, Frans Timmermans has been a central part of EU politics, often as a prominent figure. Photo: Pool/Reuters

Timmermanns to leave Commission

EU Climate Action Commissioner Frans Timmermans will resign to lead a left-wing alliance in the Netherlands’ parliamentary elections, an EU official said on Tuesday. The Netherlands will go to parliamentary elections on November 22, where Timmermans will lead the parties GroenLinks and the Social Democratic Party van de Arbeid, a position the parties themselves have confirmed. For almost a decade, Timmermans has been a central part of EU politics, often as a prominent figure. But now he will take part in a Dutch election campaign, which will be the first since 2006 without outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte as leader of the conservative VVD. Timmermans said in July that he wants a chance to become the next prime minister of the Netherlands. It is not clear who will replace Timmermans, who is vice president of the European Commission and heads the EU’s Green Deal – a comprehensive package of climate policy measures. /ritzau/