Unless the Christian Democratic party (CDA) has a ‘good story’ to tell voters within the next year, the party will be confined to a marginal role in politics, according to the founder of an independent party think tank.

If the CDA fails to do this it ‘will have an existential problem and will be washed away in the elections,’ Hein Pieper says in an interview with website nu.nl.
The CDA, traditionally the largest party in the Netherlands, took just 21 out of 150 seats at the general election last year and is now on around 15 seats in the latest opinion polls. The party is part of a minority government with the conservative liberal VVD.

Ideas

‘The time for internal discussions is over. The CDA believes in people and society. We have to test our ideas with them,’ Pieper said.
The leader of the CDA in Overijssel province also crticised deputy party leader Maxime Verhagen. ‘He is so close to the cabinet that it is difficult for him to establish a clear CDA profile,’ Pieper said. ‘He is good as a minister but not as a CDA member.’
The CDA is currently without a formal party leader, although Verhagen is widely believed to have the job.
A poll by Maurice de Hond earlier this month showed 44% of CDA voters would like there to be new elections.