2012 Labour Party (Netherlands) leadership election

The 2012 Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid, PvdA) leadership election was held to select a new leader of the Labour Party in the Netherlands following the resignation of Job Cohen after the party's disappointing results in the 2012 general election.

The election was contested by two candidates: Diederik Samsom, a Member of Parliament representing the party, and Ronald Plasterk, a former Minister of Education, Culture and Science. The selection process involved a vote open to all party members.

Diederik Samsom won the election and became the new leader of the Labour Party. He subsequently led the party in coalition negotiations with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), resulting in the formation of the Rutte II cabinet. The result of the election was seen as a victory for the more left-leaning faction within the PvdA. The main issues debated during the election included the party's direction following the election defeat, the approach to coalition negotiations, and specific policy priorities related to social welfare and economic recovery.