New party led by veteran MP dominates Netherlands elections

euronews (in English)

New Social Contract (NSC) leader Pieter Omtzigt is offering Dutch voters an alternative at the polls. The veteran politician launched his party in August. He told Euronews reporter, Fernande van Tets, he is surprised by the sudden growth of the party.

Transcript

00:00 Some last minute campaigning. One party has dominated the Dutch elections. New social

00:07 contract. Peter Onsiert started the new party this summer. The veteran MP who gained prominence

00:15 while exposing the child benefit scandal could become prime minister.

00:25 I'm actually, myself, I'm very surprised about the speed at which all this is going. I mean,

00:30 you're looking at a party which had five members three weeks ago.

00:35 His party champions constitutional reform and bringing down the cost of living. The main

00:41 draw however is Onsiert himself.

00:44 I have a lot of confidence in Peter Onsiert and his ideas. I hope he can bring about the

00:51 necessary change. He's just a very friendly, nice man. He's really interested in the other

00:58 people.

01:02 Polls predict that any winner will have to form a coalition, which means compromise.

01:07 It will be a question of working together with other parties. It will be a question of sending

01:16 a little bit of the money, while he promises a 180 degree turn. No government can do that.

01:23 He will have to disappoint people who hope that everything will change.

01:31 A record 26 parties are running.

01:36 With just two days to go it's a very tight race here. Polls show that whatever happens

01:42 Peter Onsiert and his new social contract will be a force to be reckoned with in Dutch

01:46 politics over the next four years. Both the left and the right will need him to form a

01:51 coalition.

01:52 This is Fernandes Vantetz reporting for Euronews, The Netherlands.

01:55 [WHOOSH]

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