After the parliamentary elections next Wednesday, the Netherlands will have a new head of government. Long-time Prime Minister Rutte is no longer running – and voters seem to be longing for a different type of politician.
Pieter Omtzigt is an alternative to right-wing populists with supposedly simple recipes like Geert Wilders. And to the extremely supple Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is not running again after 13 years in office.
Omtzigt doesn’t seem supple, but rather a bit brittle. He is not a compelling speaker; He doesn’t speak in headlines, but also pays attention to details.
Despite this, or perhaps precisely because of this, his newly founded party is doing very well in the polls. Many Dutch people want seriousness and solidity after the many scandals of the Rutte years. Omtzigt is considered the “anti-Rutte”.
Fundamental renewal
According to Omtzigt, the government and administration in the Netherlands have paid less and less attention to the needs of citizens in recent years. He promises to change that and fundamentally renew governance and administrative practices.
In his own words, he wants to ensure that fewer people turn away from politics and society. “New Social Contract” (NSC) is the name of Omtzigt’s party, which was founded three months ago. Among other things, she would like to set up a constitutional court where citizens can have their rights reviewed.
A fundamental reform of the political and administrative structures – that can take time, Omtzigt himself admits: “What was broken in 10, 15 or 20 years cannot be repaired in four years. But if we start with a better government, then it will you will see the first changes in the next few years.”
A break with symbolic value: If you like, politically speaking, the sun is currently shining on Pieter Omtzigt.
Broken with the CDA
Omtzigt has been a member of the Second Chamber for 19 years, most of the time for the Christian Democratic CDA. Three years ago he tried in vain to become its chairman. He then broke with his former political home. Omtzigt felt that he was not being treated well.
The 49-year-old economist lives in Enschede, an industrial city on the border with Germany – in a way that is also a statement: you can’t be further away from The Hague, the established center of political power in the Netherlands.
Omtzigt is considered a document eater who digs his way into problems. This isn’t normally particularly attractive to voters, but Omtzigt is even flirting with his image as a detail-loving worker during the election campaign.
Not a team player
Omtzigt is not a loudspeaker, say people who have seen him in the Dutch parliament. They describe him as a man with quick comprehension who also understands complex problems of tax and pension policy. Correctness is important to him. That makes him popular, but uncomfortable in the political world.
Omtzigt is not a team player. He helped resolve the child care allowance scandal, which the state wrongly demanded back from thousands of families. In public, he has become a symbol of the upright parliamentarian who controls the government – and his own party. He was supposed to be sidelined during coalition negotiations two and a half years ago.
The fact that this came out hurt Rutte badly and increased Omtzigt’s popularity.
Not calculated
His election program does not fit into the usual left-right schema: Omtzigt wants to reduce taxes for low earners, increase the minimum wage and wealth tax and create more living space. However, he leaves it open where the money will come from – which is surprising for a financial expert.
At the same time, he calls for immigration to be limited to 50,000 people per year. According to political experts, Omtzigt appeals to voters on the left and right of center.
If he is successful in the election, he does not want to become Prime Minister, but rather remain as parliamentary group leader in the Second Chamber. In this respect, too, Omtzigt is an alternative to the traditional politician model: a representative of the people who does not embrace power if he gets it.