With his New Social Contract party, he is striving for a “new way of governing,” the 49-year-old told the Tubantia newspaper on Sunday. Omtzigt, who belonged to the Christian Democrats until 2021, is considered one of the most popular conservative politicians in the Netherlands. A poll at the end of July showed that he could win the November 22nd election if he ran with his own party.

Omtzigt has earned a reputation as a politician of integrity. He helped uncover a child support scandal that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government in early 2021. The authorities had wrongly accused thousands of parents of cheating on child benefits and brought many families into financial distress with reclaims. In the general election in March 2021, Rutte secured a fourth term. However, his four-party coalition broke up in early July in a dispute over immigration policy. Shortly thereafter, the head of government surprisingly announced his retirement from politics.