# Prominent members leave NSC ahead of party congress with Mona Keijzer

> Former MPs Ilse Saris and Harm Holman have left NSC, a party that won 20 seats at its first election and none at its latest.

Politics · published 2026-10-10 11:22 · https://nlnow.nl/a/prominent-members-quit-nsc-as-mona-keijzer-speaks-at-party-congress/

Former MPs Ilse Saris and Harm Holman have resigned their membership of New Social Contract (Nieuw Sociaal Contract, NSC), after MEP Dirk Gotink, the last active NSC politician, left the party on Wednesday. NSC held its party conference in Breda on Saturday, with Mona Keijzer invited as a speaker.

The party board confirms that more members have resigned their membership this week. About one hundred members attended the conference. Half the hall walked out when Keijzer began to speak. She told the congress: "I am looking for sensible conservative people."

A spokesperson for Keijzer said her speech would be about her new political movement, Project 2029.

Pieter Omtzigt founded NSC three years ago, and it won 20 seats in the lower house of parliament (Tweede Kamer) in its first election. After a spell in cabinet and Omtzigt's departure for health reasons, it won no seats at the next election.

Other former figures have also left: former parliamentary leader Nicolien van Vroonhoven, former minister Judith Uitermark, former junior minister Tjebbe van Oostenbruggen and former MP Olger van Dijk. Holman has rejoined the CDA.

## Divided views

Holman said NSC was a reasonable centre party on substance but has become "an increasingly right-wing and populist party", and that he does not feel at home in it. Van Oostenbruggen said NSC is "a closed book" to him.

Former campaign manager Wytske Postma sees the invitation as a shift to the right. She called the party "a politically amateurish club" and said a disbanding congress would have been wise, however hard.

Party chair Ronald de Bruin disagreed: "We are in a difficult phase and we are a party without a leader. We invited Mona Keijzer as guest speaker to look for what we have in common."

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