Health minister Hugo de Jonge, who has now officially launched his candidature for leadership of the Christian Democrats, told the Volkskrant in an interview that a coalition government with the far right Forum voor Democratie would not happen on his watch.

The CDA is part of a coalition with the FvD in Noord-Brabant, a move that proved controversial with several of the party’s elder statesmen.

Asked by the paper if a national coalition with Thierry Baudet’s FvD was an option, De Jonge said: ‘I have always said, I don’t see that happening’. Asked to expressly rule out a coalition, De Jonge said the interviewer obviously did not know him well enough. ‘What I will say is, this is not going to happen,’ the health minister said.

The CDA hopes to finalise its new leader, who will take the party into the 2021 general election, by the end of the month.

Junior economic affairs minister Mona Keijzer, also thought to be a contender, has not yet thrown her hat into the ring, but finance minister Wopke Hoekstra, tipped as the front runner, said earlier this week he will not take part.

The CDA has been without a leader since Sybrand Buma left to become mayor of Leeuwarden in August 2019.