Sybrand van Haersma Buma, who currently leads the Christian Democratic parliamentary party and had a pivotal role in working out the five-party agreed austerity package, has come forward as a candidate to lead the CDA’s general election campaign.

The CDA has been without a leader since Jan Peter Balkenende resigned following the party’s disastrous showing in the June 2010 general election. Van Haersma Buma has been an MP since 2002.
He is the first nationally-known CDA member to officially join the nomination list. Nominations are open until May 4.