Diederik Samsom

Former Leader of the Dutch Labor Party

Diederik Samsom studied physics at Delft University of Technology before working as a Greenpeace activist and campaigner in the field of energy and climate. Samsom entered politics in 2003 and was a member of the House of Representatives until 2016. During his tenure, he focused on energy and environmental issues and advocated for renewable energy and combating climate change. In 2012, Samsom became leader of the Dutch Labor Party, leading the party in national elections and in a coalition government later that year.

Between 2017 and 2019, Samsom worked as a consultant in both the public and private sectors, where he helped establish the Dutch Climate Agreement and provided strategic advice to investors and energy companies. In 2019, he became chief of staff to Executive Vice President Timmermans at the European Commission. He played a key role in the design and implementation of the European Green Deal and other signature European policies, such as the Recovey and Resilience Fund to restore European economies after COVID and the RePowerEU plan to make Europe independent of Russian gas after the invasion of Russia. of Ukraine in 2022.

As right-hand man of European Commissioner Frans Timmermans, he was the architect of the European Green Deal. Throughout his career, Samsom has remained committed to tackling climate change and promoting sustainable development, making significant contributions to both Dutch and European politics.