NSC board resigns after chaotic members’ meeting
The party becomes further divided after criticism of the invitation to Mona Keijzer and a decision not to contest the provincial elections.
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The board of Nieuw Sociaal Contract resigned on Saturday during a chaotic members’ meeting in Breda, according to recent reports. Public sources confirm the meeting and the deep struggle over the party’s direction, but do not yet provide a complete independent account of the board’s decision.
NSC’s general members’ meeting was already under intense pressure. The party had invited Mona Keijzer as a guest speaker. Since leaving BBB, she has been an independent MP and is working on a new socially conservative movement called Project2029.
The invitation led to several resignations in recent days. MEP Dirk Gotink said he did not want to belong to a party seeking rapprochement with Keijzer. According to NOS, he was thereby NSC’s last active elected representative. Other prominent members also criticised the party’s direction.
Keijzer defended her appearance in Breda by saying that people with a conservative outlook should be able to find common ground. During her appearance, she reportedly spoke about the need to explore cooperation on the right. NSC stressed beforehand that her presence did not constitute formal cooperation.
The meeting also made clear how small the party has become organisationally. NSC won twenty seats in the 2023 Lower House elections, but then rapidly lost political influence. After party leader Eddy van Hijum’s departure, the party no longer had a permanent political leader.
Acting chair Ronald de Bruin also said on Saturday that NSC would not contest the 2027 provincial elections. According to him, provincial branches had been consulted on whether there was sufficient support and organisational capacity. The decision further limits the party’s visibility, but according to the board also prevents a campaign without enough candidates.
It remains unclear exactly what the change of board means for NSC’s future. The party may try to continue independently with a smaller membership organisation, seek new leadership or align itself with other conservative movements. Until a formal decision has been published, it is too early to speak of a merger or cooperation with Project2029.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- NSC held a members’ meeting in Breda.
- Mona Keijzer was invited as a guest speaker.
- Dirk Gotink resigned his membership.
- NSC will not contest the 2027 provincial elections.
- The precise consequences of the board’s resignation have not yet been established.
Left
Arguments According to this perspective, the crisis shows that a party which emphasised good governance and the rule of law is distancing itself from those principles by allowing space for a polarising right-conservative course.
Values The rule of law, inclusivity, democratic oversight and the protection of minorities are central.
Consequences A further shift to the right could harden political debate and alienate voters who saw NSC as a governing alternative.
Centre
Arguments The party must first establish in an orderly manner which course its members support. A conversation with Keijzer may be legitimate, but must not be confused with formal cooperation.
Values Internal democracy, administrative continuity, clarity and institutional prudence.
Consequences A temporary pause and new leadership could stabilise the party, but delay could also lead to further departures.
Right
Arguments Conservative voters are seeking political cooperation, and NSC should not automatically distance itself from parties or movements with which it shares common ground on migration, authority and society.
Values Political recognisability, national control, order and room for a more right-wing social voice.
Consequences Cooperation could make NSC relevant again, while an overly cautious course could reduce the party to a small internal discussion group.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The political crisis and the preceding exodus are well supported by NOS, WNL and party sources. The board’s resignation is fully visible only in the supplied news headlines and has therefore been explicitly phrased as provisionally reported.
- confirmed NSC held a congress and general members’ meeting in Breda on 10 October. — The official party calendar lists the meeting in Breda. source
- confirmed Dirk Gotink left NSC after the invitation to Mona Keijzer. — NOS describes his departure and his objection to rapprochement with Keijzer. source
- confirmed NSC lost its last active elected representative. — This is stated in the NOS report about Gotink. source
- confirmed NSC will not contest the 2027 provincial elections. — WNL quotes acting chair Ronald de Bruin on this. source
- uncertain The party board resigned during the members’ meeting. — This appears in the supplied news headlines, but could not be independently checked in the public sources found. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: The board resigned and NSC’s future has thereby been decided.Now: The new reports state that the board has resigned; NSC’s future direction remains unclear. (The public sources confirm the meeting and the crisis, but not all details of the change of board.)
Editor's note
The meeting, the invitation to Mona Keijzer and the decision concerning the provincial elections have been publicly confirmed. The precise board decisions and the reason for the resignation have not yet been fully described independently in the public sources found.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „nsc mona keijzer”
- Trouw — „nsc mona keijzer”
- NRC — „nsc mona keijzer”