THE HAGUE, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Pieter Omtzigt, leader of the Dutch New Social Contract (NSC), a key party within the four-party coalition government, announced Wednesday that he is temporarily stepping back from some of his responsibilities for health reasons.
The 50-year-old politician shared the news on social media platform X, stating that the past year had been "extremely intense" and that he would be working "more in the background" in the coming weeks.
Recent Dutch media reports have highlighted tensions within the government coalition during discussions over the budget. According to the reports, Omtzigt had several emotional moments during these meetings, allegedly bursting into tears and walking away in frustration.
It is not the first time Omtzigt has suffered from health issues. In 2021, he withdrew for several months due to a burn-out. After his return, he left his party of that time, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), and later founded NSC.
In the November 2023 general elections, Omtzigt's NSC made an impressive debut, winning 20 of the 150 seats in the Dutch House of Representatives, making it the fourth-largest party in the country.
After months of tough negotiations, NSC formed a coalition government in July 2024 alongside the Party for Freedom (PVV), the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof. ■
