2020 Christian Democratic Appeal leadership election

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2020 Christian Democratic Appeal leadership election
← 2012 6–11 July 2020 (2020-07-06 – 2020-07-11) (first round)
11–14 July 2020 (2020-07-11 – 2020-07-14) (second round)
 
Candidate Hugo de Jonge Pieter Omtzigt
Percentage 50.7% 49.3%
Leader before election

Sybrand Buma (2012–19),
Vacant (2019–20)

 Elected leader

Hugo de Jonge

The 2020 Christian Democratic Appeal leadership election was called to elect the new leader and lead candidate (lijsttrekker) of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) in the run-up to the 2021 Dutch general election.

Background[edit]

The position of party leader of the CDA had been vacant since the appointment of incumbent party leader Sybrand van Haersma Buma as mayor of Leeuwarden in May 2019. The CDA has no formal procedure in place for selecting a replacement. Initially, the party had intended to promote its leader in the House of Representatives, Pieter Heerma, to the position of party leader, but Heerma declined this offer.[1]

Speculation that either Hugo de Jonge or Wopke Hoekstra would be selected instead, prompted Mona Keijzer to demand the CDA to hold an internal referendum over who the new party leader should be.[2] Keijzer had already participated in earlier leadership elections, which she lost to Sybrand Buma.[2]

Some party prominents, including Hugo de Jonge, feared a leadership election could divide the party and advised the executive board to appoint a new leader instead.[3][4] Nonetheless, the board decided to hold an election to choose the new party leader.

Five party members announced their candidacy for the party leadership: Hugo de Jonge, Mona Keijzer, Pieter Omtzigt, Martijn van Helvert, and André Reumkens. The candidacy of Reumkens was declined by the board.[5] The first round of the election was held between 6 and 11 July 2020. A second round was held between 11 and 14 July 2020.

Candidates[edit]

Nominated[edit]

The following CDA members announced their candidacy:[6]

Candidate Born Political office(s) Education Religion Announced Endorsements

Hugo de Jonge 		26 September 1977
(age 42)
Bruinisse, Zeeland 		Deputy Prime Minister (2017–2022),
Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (2017–2022),
Alderman of Rotterdam (2010–2017) 		Bachelor of Education Protestant 18 June 2020 Sybrand Buma,
Ferdinand Grapperhaus,
Ruth Peetoom
[7][8]

Pieter Omtzigt 		8 January 1974
(age 46)
The Hague, South Holland 		Member of the House of Representatives
(2003–2010; 2010–present) 		Doctor of Philosophy
in Economics 		Roman Catholic 25 June 2020 Mona Keijzer[9]

Eliminated[edit]

Candidate Born Political office(s) Education Religion Announced Eliminated

Mona Keijzer 		9 October 1968
(age 51)
Edam, North Holland 		State Secretary for Economic Affairs and
Climate Policy (2017–2021),
Member of the House of Representatives (2012–2017),
Alderwoman of Purmerend (2007–2012),
Deputy mayor and alderwoman of Waterland (1998–2005) 		Master of Laws,
Master of Public Administration 		Roman Catholic 23 June 2020 11 July 2020

Withdrawn[edit]

Candidate Born Political office(s) Education Religion Announced Withdrawn

Martijn van Helvert 		7 April 1978
(age 42)
Sittard, Limburg 		Member of the House of Representatives (2014–2021),
Member of the States of Limburg (2011–2015) 		Doctorandus in History Roman Catholic 24 June 2020 30 June 2020[10]

Declined[edit]

Timeline[edit]

Candidate status
Nominated
Nominated; eliminated after the first round
Nominated; withdrawn from the election
Events
Nominations announced
Voting opens
Result announced (first round)
Voting closes (second round)
Result announced
Martijn van HelvertMona KeijzerPieter OmtzigtHugo de Jonge

Opinion polls[edit]

Date(s)
administered 		Poll
source 		Sample
Other
Undecided
9–10 May 2019 EenVandaag[12] 1,000 CDA voters — 29% 9% — 40% 3% 18%
300 CDA members — 20% 5% — 59% 4% 12%
28 Oct – 7 Nov 2019 EenVandaag[13] 2,283 CDA voters — 21% 16% — 39% — 3% 21%
March 2020 EenVandaag[14] 1,188 CDA voters — 22% 14% — 43% — 21%
27 April 2020 EenVandaag[15] 1,188 CDA voters — 35% 9% — 50% — 6%
27–30 Jun 2020 EenVandaag[16] 2,250 CDA voters 0% 47% 15% 34% — — 4%
* = not a candidate

Results[edit]

Candidate First round Second round
Hugo de Jonge
48.7%
50.7%
Pieter Omtzigt
39.7%
49.3%
Mona Keijzer
11.6%
Source: NOS

Aftermath[edit]

Following his victory, Hugo de Jonge announced that he and Omtzigt would run as lead candidates for the 2021 Dutch general election together, calling Omtzigt his "running mate".[17] Four months later, however, De Jonge found that the position of party leader was difficult to combine with his role as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, given the attention required of him during the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] On 12 November 2020, he resigned from his position as party leader. The day after, the party's executive board announced that it had chosen Wopke Hoekstra as the new party leader, despite the fact that Hoekstra did not participate in the leadership election.[19]

Pieter Omtzigt claimed that party chair Rutger Ploum had promised him that he would be allowed to take De Jonge's place in the event of the latter's resignation, and expressed his dissatisfaction with Hoekstra's appointment.[20] Omtzigt temporarily resigned from campaigning in February 2021, a month before the general election, because he was overworked.[21] On 12 June 2021, Omtzigt left split from CDA and continued as an independent Member of Parliament.[citation needed] He alleged he was being harassed by CDA prominents for his investigations into the Dutch childcare benefits scandal and his critical stance in the leadership election.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Pieter Heerma volgt Buma op als fractievoorzitter CDA - NRC". 2021-08-07. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  2. ^ a b "Mona Keijzer: ik ben kroonprinses bij het CDA - wel.nl". Welingelichte Kringen (in Dutch). 31 August 2019. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  3. ^ "CDA-prominenten: laat leden nieuwe lijsttrekker kiezen | Politiek | AD.nl". 2021-06-24. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  4. ^ "Hugo de Jonge wil geen strijd om leiderschap CDA - NRC". 2020-03-02. Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  5. ^ "Nummer 20 van CDA Beekdaelen wil ook landelijke lijsttrekker... - De Limburger". 2020-06-26. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  6. ^ "Bestuur CDA draagt vier kandidaten voor het lijsttrekkerschap voor". NOS (in Dutch). 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Hugo de Jonge wil CDA-lijsttrekker worden en krijgt steun van Buma en Peetoom" (in Dutch). Nederlands Dagblad. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  8. ^ "'Tijd voor nieuwe generatie bij CDA'". BNR (in Dutch). 19 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Verliezend CDA-kandidaat Mona Keijzer schaart zich achter Omtzigt". Noordhollands Dagblad (in Dutch). 11 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Van Helvert trekt zich terug zich uit lijsttrekkersstrijd CDA". NOS (in Dutch). 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  11. ^ Bots, Paul (26 June 2020). "Nummer 20 van CDA Beekdaelen wil ook landelijke lijsttrekker worden". De Limburger (in Flemish). Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  12. ^ https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/panels/opiniepanel/alle-uitslagen/item/cda-kiezers-buma-heeft-langste-tijd-gehad
  13. ^ https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/panels/opiniepanel/alle-uitslagen/item/kiezers-cda-en-d66-snakken-naar-een-nieuw-gezicht-de-vraag-is-wie-het-moet-doen
  14. ^ https://eenvandaag.assets.avrotros.nl/user_upload/PDF/Onderzoek%20CDA%20partijleider.pdf
  15. ^ https://eenvandaag.assets.avrotros.nl/user_upload/PDF/Onderzoek%20CDA%20partijleider.pdf
  16. ^ https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/panels/opiniepanel/alle-uitslagen/item/pieter-omtzigt-zowel-binnen-als-buiten-cda-populair-maar-komt-tekort-als-leider/
  17. ^ "Hugo de Jonge wint nipt lijsttrekkersverkiezing CDA". nos.nl (in Dutch). 15 July 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  18. ^ "De Jonge zwicht alsnog onder druk - NRC". 2020-12-10. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  19. ^ "CDA schuift Hoekstra naar voren - NRC". 2020-12-12. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  20. ^ "Omtzigt voelt zich gepasseerd voor lijsttrekkerschap CDA | Trouw". 2021-06-24. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  21. ^ "CDA-nummer 2 Omtzigt neemt even gas terug na druk jaar". nos.nl (in Dutch). 19 February 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  22. ^ "Fluistercampagne van partijtop tegen 'labiele' Omtzigt bedreigt stabiliteit CDA". HP/De Tijd (in Dutch). 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
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