Hugo de Jonge

In 2010, De Jonge was appointed as alderman with the portfolio of Education, Youth and Family in Rotterdam. As such, he argued in 2013 on national television for the closing of the Islamic school association Ibn Ghaldoun after a number of problems came to light.[4][5]

After the municipal elections of 2014, De Jonge was appointed again as alderman, with the Healthcare portfolio. The same year he was announced as the Politician of the Year in Rotterdam.[6] In October 2016, he announced a programme to persuade parents that are considered vulnerable to consider voluntary birth control.[7] As he left the Rotterdam politics in October 2017, he was awarded the municipal Wolfert van Borselenpenning.[8]

In October 2017, De Jonge was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport in the Third Rutte cabinet.[9] During the administration of the oath and installation of the new Ministers, De Jonge received media attention because of his unusual choice of shoes, receiving both criticism and praise.[10][8]

After the resignation of Bruno Bruins as Minister for Medical Care on 19 March 2020, De Jonge became responsible for the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] In this capacity, he initiated the development of a COVID-19 app.[2]

On 18 June 2020, De Jonge announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Christian Democratic Appeal, which had been vacant since the resignation of Sybrand van Haersma Buma in May 2019.[12] In his announcement, De Jonge expressed his commitment to the political centre, seeing the CDA as a "broad people's party". He is seen as economically less on the right wing of his party than previous leaders, having previously called for the market and competition in healthcare to be restrained.[2][13] He has also expressed the belief that his party should not cooperate with the right-wing populist parties Party for Freedom and Forum for Democracy.[14]