Dutch voters will return to the polls on October 29, after the previous government collapsed just a year into office. The CDA is vying for second place in the polls, tied with a joint Socialist-Greens ticket at around 24 seats, trailing behind Wilders’ far-right PVV with 31 seats.
This positions the party as a potential election winner and Bontenbal as a possible kingmaker in government negotiations.
Bontenbal’s political journey began unexpectedly in 2021 when he took a temporary parliamentary seat, stepping in for the esteemed former politician Pieter Omtzigt. By the November 2023 elections, CDA support dwindled to five seats shortly after Bontenbal’s takeover, partly due to the rise of Omtzigt’s new rival party. At that time, Bontenbal’s leadership of the center-right appeared grim.
Two years later, the atmosphere in Eindhoven, home to leading companies like ASML and Philips, is optimistic.
In the Netherlands’ “smartest square km,” a venue is filled for an event supporting a local candidate. However, Bontenbal — known as Henri — leads the ticket. Beer mats feature the slogan “Henri, one more round?” and his new book, It Really Can Be Different, is on the tables.
On stage in Eindhoven, Botenbal outlines four election priorities: housing shortages, handling asylum seekers, the country’s nitrogen crisis, and future economic investments.
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