Allowance parents about Omtzigt's departure: 'Big loss, still needed him'
NOS news•Saturday, April 19, 1:03 PM
Allowance parents about Omtzigt's departure: 'Big loss, still needed him'
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Pieter Omtzigt was extremely popular just after the founding of his New Social Contract party in the summer of 2023. Voters had enormous confidence in the politician from Enschede. They appreciated him for his active role in the benefits affair, or were enthusiastic about the new governance culture he was pursuing.
But in the past two years, the New Social Contract fell in the polls and Omtzigt himself disappeared from the political scene for a long time because of his mental health. How do the victims of the benefits affair and voters now look at his departure?
“As parents, we are very affected by the news,” says victim Nathalie Sijbesma. “Pieter Omtzigt meant a lot to us. And there are still a lot of problems in this recovery operation that requires Pieter.”
“A loss for parents”
Nowadays, as an expert, Sijbesma helps other affected parents. In recent years, she had a lot of contact with Omtzigt. “I met Pieter as a very involved person, who listens to your story and watches with you: what can I do for you, where are you in the process, what are you up against?”
Although Omtzigt withdrew from politics a few times due to a burnout, he was always available to Sijbesma. “Pieter is someone who is there for you,” she says. “It's really going to be a loss for us as parents.”
That's what Theo Kaspers of the Duped Parents Foundation also says. “For the allowance parents, he was a counselor. Of that old group of parliamentarians who are familiar with this complex dossier, only Inge van Dijk of the CDA now remains, which makes us shiver for a while.”
Engagement as a counterforce
“We've lost an honest, honest rebel in the House,” says Kaspers. “His critical curiosity, sense of justice and perseverance were a counterforce in the benefits file.”
As a result, things really started moving, says Kaspers. As an example, he mentions the establishment of the Donner Commission in 2019, which was going to investigate the benefits affair.
But Omtzigt's involvement came at the expense of his own health, Kasper's saw. In The Hague, The Duped Parents Foundation was last year to prepare for a debate that Nicolien van Vroonhoven would have. Omtzigt briefly joined that conversation. “He decided almost immediately to have the debate himself the next day, while also admitting: I haven't recovered yet.”
'Couldn't be different'
The fact that Omtzigt could no longer mentally cope with politics is no surprise to many people on the market in his hometown of Enschede. “It wasn't possible anymore, you saw it in him,” says a woman. “When he was on TV, it was a bit difficult.”
“I don't think it could be any other way,” says one man. “I think he was up.” Another: “That man had too much heart, people with hearts shouldn't go into politics.”
For this reason, many market goers think it is wise for Omtzigt to retire from politics. A woman likes the fact that he chooses for himself and his family. But: “He was definitely someone who put a foot in the door, cranked things up, I'm sorry he stopped doing that.”
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