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32 INTERNATIONAL AWEMainta Diahuebs, 5 October 2023
Pieter Omtzigt Reveals NSC Candidate List,
Focusing on Expertise and National Representation
PIETER Omtzigt, the leader of the newly formed Nieuw parents wrongly accused of childcare support fraud, holds
Sociaal Contract (NSC) party, has revealed a list of 44 candi- the fifth position on the list. Omtzigt and Socialist Party
dates who will be contesting the upcoming general election MP Renske Leijten played pivotal roles in uncovering the
in November. Omtzigt emphasized that he carefully selected scandal associated with this issue, leading to a parliamen-
these candidates to represent the entire Netherlands, tary committee’s damning report and the resignation of
including the Caribbean islands, with the aim of achieving Mark Rutte’s third cabinet in January 2021.
better governance and national security.
While there was speculation that Omtzigt would recruit
He founded the NSC party a month ago, pledging to restore several of his former CDA colleagues, only a handful appear
trust in politics and enhance government accountability. on the list. His spokeswoman, Nicolien van Vroonhoven, holds
Currently, NSC is in a neck-and-neck race with the right- the second position, and former VVD MP Folkert Idsinga, a
wing Liberal VVD in opinion polls, with around 17% of the financial affairs specialist, is also on the list.
vote. The third position is occupied by Judith Uitermark, a crim-
inal court judge and former CDA councilor, who highlighted
Omtzigt is still finalizing the party’s manifesto, which is set the need for a government that prioritizes people amid the
to be published at the end of October, just over three weeks growing complexity of society and rules. Casper Veldkamp,
before the election. While most of his policies have been a member of the board of directors at the European Bank
kept under wraps, he hinted at proposals like capping immi- for Reconstruction and Development, takes the fourth spot,
gration at 50,000 new arrivals annually, making modest while Rosanne Hertzberger, a microbiologist and columnist
increases to the minimum wage, and simplifying the Dutch for NRC newspaper, is in the 17th position.
system of tax breaks.
The list of NSC candidates includes individuals with exten- Omtzigt emphasized his selection of candidates with exper-
sive government experience, such as judges, civil servants, tise in politics or relevant policy areas, stating that real
and even an ambassador. It also features those with “life change can only occur with individuals who thoroughly
experience” related to government affairs. For instance, understand the workings of the system.
Annemarie Heite, whose house was damaged by gas-related
earthquakes in Groningen and who now works on coordi- While Omtzigt has not yet named a potential prime minister
nating the restoration operation, is among the candidates. candidate for NSC, polls indicate that the party may become
the largest after the election. However, Omtzigt has ruled
Sandra Palmen, a civil servant who wrote a crucial memo in himself out for the role, focusing instead on completing the
2017 advocating for government compensation for working party’s manifesto.
