THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch centre-right leader Pieter Omtzigt announced Friday evening he is quitting both the fragile four-party ruling coalition and national politics.
Citing his mental health, the 51-year-old said in a social media video that he is unable to recover from burnout in the current political climate.
“It was a huge honor and privilege to be a member of parliament for more than 21 years," Omtzigt said in the surprise move. “But the toll has been quite high. That is why I am choosing to put my family first for the first time and to choose my own health.”
His New Social Contract party, founded just two years ago, is the fourth largest in the Dutch parliament and formed part of the ruling coalition after months of negotiations last year.
The government seemed on the brink of collapse over spring budget talks this week. In the previous nine months, it has nearly toppled after the resignation of the finance state secretary over what she saw as denigrating comments on immigrants and the refusal of the immigration minister to sign off on honors for volunteers who worked with refugees.
Known for his sharp tongue and fiery anti-Islam rhetoric, the hard-right leader Geert Wilders, who helms the largest party in parliament, was considered too controversial to lead the country but often dominates political negotiations.
Omtzigt leaves the party in the hands of his deputy Nicolien van Vroonhoven, who took over in September when he was on medical leave. His fall departure was the second time he had stepped back from his duties for his mental health.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof wished Omtzigt well. “The Hague is losing a passionate and dedicated MP, a true representative of the people. I thank him for his efforts and our collaboration in recent times,” Schoof said on social media.
A former member of the center-right Christian Democrats, Omtzigt’s new New Social Contract party immediately rocketed up opinion polls thanks to his reputation as a tireless crusader for whistleblowers and victims of government scandals.
His key policy platform was reforming the Dutch political system that has been tarnished in recent years by scandals including the country’s tax office wrongly labelling thousands of child welfare recipients as fraudsters.
He became a sensation during drawn-out talks to form the last Dutch coalition government when one of the negotiators was photographed carrying papers that included the text: “job elsewhere” next to his name.
It was widely seen as a sign that the established political order wanted to be rid of a man who had long been a thorn in their side. It only served to bolster Omtzigt’s popularity.
FILE - Pieter Omtzigt, leader of the recently formed Dutch political party New Social Contract prepares to cast his ballot at the Museumfabriek, or Museum Factory, in Enschede, Netherlands, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
FILE - Pieter Omtzigt, leader of the recently formed Dutch political party New Social Contract, speaks to the media at a meeting in Amersfoort, Netherlands on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden had 28 points and eight assists in an outstanding bounce-back performance, Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and the Los Angeles Clippers forced a seventh game in their first-round NBA playoff series with a 111-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday night.
Norman Powell scored 24 points for the Clippers, who rebounded from back-to-back losses with an impressive effort at new Intuit Dome. Los Angeles took control in the second half while playing tenacious defense on Nikola Jokic, who scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half.
“I give our guys credit for just staying with it,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “(They) don’t get deflated, and we did a good job. ... I told the guys after the game, it’s about being a team and whatever it takes to win. Those guys totally understood it.”
Game 7 is Saturday in Denver.
Jamal Murray scored 21 points for the Nuggets, who lost a potential series-clinching playoff game for the fourth time in five tries over the past two seasons since their 2023 championship run. Denver also blew a 3-2 series lead over Minnesota in the second round last season.
The Nuggets haven’t won a Game 7 since 2020, when they ousted the Clippers from the conference semifinals in the Florida bubble.
The Clippers were pushed to this comeback win by the 35-year-old Harden, who played aggressively and craftily after receiving criticism for a passive effort in Game 5. Leonard also stepped up, with the two-time NBA champion adding 10 rebounds and five assists in an assertive outing.
“It was win or go home, so there were opportunities to be aggressive, and I took them,” Harden said. “One more game. ... We didn't want to go home. We've got one more game left.”
Ivica Zubac and Nicolas Batum teamed up for a surprisingly effective defensive effort on the typically unguardable Jokic. The three-time MVP was held scoreless for 11 minutes in the third quarter and went only 2 for 9 in the second half.
Los Angeles led by 15 with less than six minutes to play, but Denver made an 11-2 run to trim the Clippers’ lead to 107-101 before Powell buried a 3-pointer with 1:47 left.
Powell’s clutch bucket was Los Angeles’ only field goal in the final 5:57, but the Clips hung on with defense. Russell Westbrook missed a layup under pressure and had another layup blocked on consecutive possessions in the final minutes, and Zubac blocked a layup attempt by Jokic with 24 seconds left.
After falling into a 2-1 series hole and then blowing a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 4, the Nuggets still won at Intuit Dome five days ago on Aaron Gordon’s incredible dunk at the buzzer. Denver rode that momentum to a comfortable win in Game 5 with 43 points from Murray.
After the Clippers folded down the stretch Tuesday, Lue took the rare step of checking in with his players by phone on their off day, saying he “took a lot of temperatures” to make sure they were mentally ready to fight for their playoff lives.
The Clippers team that stormed into the playoffs with eight straight wins and 18 in 21 answered Lue's calls in Game 6.
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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, second from left, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, left, and guard Kris Dunn defend during the first half in Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn, left, and center Ivica Zubac defend during the first half in Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, drives against Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac during the first half in Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac reach for a rebound during the first half in Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray defends during the first half in Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
