Unrest at NSC about new party leader, Van Vroonhoven doubts

At NSC it is unclear who will be the leader in the Lower House elections in October. Chairman and party leader Nicolien van Vroonhoven announced on Tuesday that she has doubts, to surprise and also irritation in people around her. At the end of April she said she would apply. According to those involved, Van Vroonhoven is not sure that she has enough support in the party.

What also plays a role: in the Lower House Group of NSC has been around for a while that MP Diederik Boomsma wants to become a party leader. He says there on Tuesday afternoon in his office that he finds it « honorable » to be called. « But I don’t want to go into it. »

Applications still possible

At NSC you can apply in the coming days for the party leader, until Saturday. Other candidates mentioned in the NSC political member of the House of Representatives and also Jelle Soepboer and also former PVV-State Secretary of Justice Ingrid Coenradie. Immediately after the departure from the Hague politics of Pieter Omtzigt, mid -April, Coenradie’s name went around, and again after the fall of the cabinet. Also in meetings that Van Vroonhoven was. Coenradie already announced in the spring that she was open to it then. In the party top it sounds on Tuesday that she has no chance.

Van Vroonhoven had taken over from Omtzigt in April, she was the only one who was ready for that: she was the number two on the list and had also been his observer when he had reported sick.

Painful

In the NSC group, Van Vroonhoven’s performance last Wednesday, about the fall of the cabinet, was seen as painful. She seemed to think that the rental freezing was still going on, although outgoing Minister of Housing Mona Keijzer (BBB) ​​had already announced that it was not. She was also laughed at in the debate when she did not understand a comment from CDA leader Henri Bontenbal. It was not the first time that NSC members talked about her backs her awkward and perhaps especially uncertain performances. It was blamed for her that the day after Omtzigt’s departure in a TV program, she did not want to exclude that NSC could merge with the CDA. That was seen as a big blunder. Diederik Boomsa said the next day: « I’ll exclude that. »

Boomsma is a former CDA ‘there, he was a councilor in Amsterdam for a long time. In the group he is seen as someone who has a lot of file knowledge and who is taken seriously by other parties in the Lower House. On behalf of NSC, he is about the theme that the cabinet has fallen over, asylum and migration, and belongs to the right-wing-conservative part of the group. Van Vroonhoven is also known as a conservative, just like soup farmer.

There are NSC people who see the best candidate leader in Eddy van Hijum. He is outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and since the departure of the PVV members from the cabinet also acting Minister of Health.

NSC has been on one seat in polls for a while. This leads to unrest and concern for the MPs and their employees who fear their job. A party leader election can make that internal unrest even more intense. In the party there is also hope that media attention can help for such an election NSC. Many voters and MPs joined the party because of Pieter Omtzigt, a new party leader is expected.

In the hall next to the large debate hall, Van Vroonhoven said Tuesday afternoon: « I still have to put my egg about it. » She still has three days for that. This applies to all possible candidates, surprises are by no means excluded.

To share

Mail the editors