The Christian Democrats, struggling in both the polls and in the cabinet, have lost two experienced MPs within two days, both of whom are leaving parliament to take up other positions.

The most recent resignation is that of Jaco Geurts, who has been appointed mayor of the Gelderland town of Maasdriel. Geurts has been an MP for 10.5 years.

He announced he was standing down on Thursday, just a day after Agnes Mulder, also an MP for 10.5 years, said she was leaving to head up her regional chapter of employers organisation VNO-NCW.

Excluding party leader Wopke Hoekstra, who is currently foreign minister, six of the 12 CDA MPs elected at the 2021 general election have now left either the CDA or parliament.

‘I would not call this desertion,’ Hoekstra told the Telegraaf, adding that sufficient expertise about the workings of parliament remains in the Tweede Kamer.