2023-11-21 17:08:25
In the Netherlands, Pieter Omtzigt’s popularity is at its peak. A few months ago, he was just another parliamentarian, but here he is in a position to govern following the early legislative elections on November 22. “He’s not a bullshitter. He says loud and clear what everyone is thinking.summarizes Martijn Brouwen, 27 years old, construction worker.
Pieter Omtzigt acquired this image of an honest politician in 2021. Thousands of parents – targeted by ethnic profiling – were then accused of having unfairly received family allowances. They had to repay large sums and the consequences were disastrous for them: debt, depression, evictions from their homes or divorces. However, they were wrongly accused.
At the time a Christian Democratic MP, member of the ruling coalition, Pieter Omtzigt played the role of whistleblower in this affair, not hesitating to call Mark Rutte’s government to account. The latter ended up submitting his resignation in January 2021.
“It is difficult to say whether Pieter Omtzigt acted out of conviction or to distance himself from his party. Some believe he was sincere. This is also the card highlighted in his campaign. Others think he had much bigger ambitions.”analyzes Benjamin Leruth, professor of political science at the University of Groningen.
He launches his own party in August 2023
In the press, leaks then reveal the internal debates within the party. Some of Pieter Omtzigt’s colleagues believe it would be better to isolate him before he creates more trouble. In June 2021, he ended up leaving the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), his party, to launch his own party in August 2023, by surprise: the “New Social Contract” (NSC).
The last party to enter the race for the November 22 elections, the NSC is today leading the polls. According to Politico, it brings together 18% of voting intentions, neck and neck with the center-right party of former Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD).
At 49 years old, Pieter Omtzigt is therefore in the position of kingmaker. But he is not unknown. Polyglot, he has been a member of Parliament for more than twenty years. At the Council of Europe, he stood out by speaking out loudly to attack the Pegasus spy software and the corruption of the Maltese judicial system. It is therefore not surprising that he now puts transparency and the renewal of public administration at the heart of his program.
A conservative in favor of social measures
He also proposes reducing the number of foreign students in prestigious Dutch universities to free up apartments for the poorly housed. Openly eurosceptic, he calls for stronger measures to reduce immigration. “He combines rather left-wing values, socially, and right-wing values for culture and identity: he is a social conservative, observe Benjamin Leruth. Pieter Omtzigt is not anti-system, he wants to change the system to meet the expectations of the Dutch and re-establish the link between citizens and politics through more transparency. »
Could he be the next prime minister of the Netherlands? Some observers criticize him for his individualism and his difficulty in bringing people together. Moreover, the NSC electoral poster only bears his name and his portrait. “He said he didn’t want to be prime minister. But he also declared at one point that he wanted to remain in the opposition, whatever happened…”, notes Benjamin Leruth. Nothing is decided yet: everything will depend on the score of his party and its lead over the others.
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