Parliamentary elections: Pieter Omtzigt will not return to CDA, says "book is closed"

Pieter Omtzigt will not return to the CDA. He announced this on X, formerly Twitter. "As has often been said, the book with the CDA is closed," he said. CDA chairman Hans Huibers had sent Omtzigt a letter asking him to join the CDA, AD reported on Saturday.

"But of course, I am happy to continue working with all parties to realize my ideas and ideals for the Netherlands," he wrote on X.

Omtzigt will announce his political future in the coming days. He may run in the elections with a new party, join another party or leave national politics.

In general, the CDA is doing poorly in the polls. The party currently has 14 seats in the Tweede Kamer. According to a poll conducted by EenVandaag and Ipsos on Tuesday, the party would gain six seats after the November 22 elections. According to a July 20 poll by I&O Research, the CDA would remain at five seats.

If, however, Omtzigt joins forces with his own party, he could win many seats, according to both polls. These would come mainly at the expense of the BBB, SP, JA21, and PVV, but also other parties such as the CDA.

CDA party leader Huibers sent Omtzigt a letter last Wednesday urging him to start talks on a new cooperation, insiders confirmed to AD. In the letter, the party also reportedly apologized for how it dealt with Omtzigt.

A spokesperson for the CDA party executive committee did not want to answer questions about the content and scope of the letter. However, "The door is always open for Pieter", the spokesperson stressed.

Omtzigt left the CDA in 2021 after losing the election for party chairman to Hugo de Jonge. When he dropped out, the party proposed Wopke Hoekstra in Omtzigt's place. The decision was met with incomprehension by Omtzigt, and the Dutch politician felt rejected and not valued enough as a result, AD reported.