Arie van Eck (19) Economics and Policy ChristenUnie (Christian Union)
Society is often antisocial and focused on economics
‘Housing is the basis for a good life in Wageningen. A lot of plans have been made recently for new student housing. But the balance has been lost. Graduates and older people want affordable housing too. At the moment there is a five-year waiting list for rented social housing, and something needs to be done about that. The Christian Union wants at least 30 percent of the new building to consist of affordable social housing, both to rent and to buy. Nowadays, society is often antisocial and focused on economics. I study Economics and Policy, so I understand the rational approach. But it often sells people short. Money is used as the ultimate argument rather than as a framework within which you get things done. I decided that I really wanted to do something about that, and I like politics and find it interesting. In local politics you work concretely on improving people’s living conditions.’
The thousands of students living in Wageningen now make up a substantial proportion of the city’s population. They live here, cycle around the town, shop, pursue leisure activities, and make use of municipal facilities in various other ways. Until recently they never showed much interest in the municipal council’s policies, but that seems to be changing. There are more students standing for election to the next municipal council than ever before. The Christian Democrats, the Green Left, the liberal D66 party, and the City Party all have students on their lists, often as election candidates. It is therefore almost inevitable that students will leave more of a mark on local policy in the next four years than they have ever done before. Which students are in the running, and what do they think they can do for Wageningen?
## Peter van Beveren (25) PhD in Farm Technology Group CDA (Christian Democrats)
You don’t stand on the sidelines, you join in!
‘To me, the market in Wageningen is a symbol of the CDA as a listening ear for the community, because our campaign headquarters just opened there. The market is the heart of the city. I am not afraid the city centre is going to die out now we have given the goahead for housing on the campus. On the contrary, that provides opportunities for local entrepreneurs, such as a bike shop or a hairdresser, to set up shop on campus as well. It is important that the town centre remains attractive. That is why I want to prevent premises standing empty, ensure there is enough parking and good accessibility by car, bike and public transport. The nice thing about local politics, to me, is the involvement in the community around you. You get to know the city in a new way, you discover new things and you see what could be improved or should be done differently. You don’t stand on the sidelines, you join in!’
## Roan van Ederen (22) Food Technology SP (Socialist Party)
Important that the voice of the young gets heard
‘Education must remain available to everyone, rich or poor. I want to prevent higher education becoming accessible only to students with rich parents. And I also want to stand up in the council for affordable housing, such as temporary housing in vacated premises. You should not have to knock down cheap student housing in order to build something new where the rents are twice as high, as has happened now at Rijnveste. As a member of Red, the youth department of the Socialist Party, I have campaigned several times on campus. I think it is important that the voice of the young gets heard. A big proportion of the population of Wageningen are students. They should be represented’.
## Peter Veldman (27) Business and Consumer Science D66 (liberal party)
You really have influence
‘The nice thing about Wageningen is not just the market but all the nice little side streets as well. I am in Wageningen a lot and in nice weather I like to sit out at a pavement café like this one. I think it’s a good development for a town when a baker or a coffee shop can put a few tables outside as well; it makes the town cheerier and nicer, and livens things up. That is why I am in favour of longer hours for pavement cafés and unrestricted opening hours for catering outlets. That is what you expect in a student town, just like Sunday shopping. In recent years in the council, I have mainly focused on housing and traffic. A lot has been done already in the area of road safety and student housing, although there is still plenty of room for improvement. That is the great thing about local politics: you really have influence. Everyone always looks at national politics, but when it comes to opening times, renting rooms, or road safety it is the local council that is at the controls.’
## Roel van Cauwenberghe (24) Forest and Nature Management GroenLinks (Green left)
Stand up for the vulnerable in the community
‘Duivendaal is a nice example of what GroenLinks has achieved on the housing market. It was an initiative by our party, to prevent the building from standing empty. We are in favour of more diversity, and we think it would be good if there were more private housing providers besides Idealis. I have been actively involved in GroenLinks for some time, first in the youth association Dwars, and now as member of the board of GroenLinks Wageningen. The party fits well with my ideals: standing up for the vulnerable in the community, and the emphasis on sustainability. In my early years as a student I was actively involved in the student rowing club Argo and in SSR-W, but now I feel the time has come to do something for the city. What I like about local politics is that you are close to the people. It is good to start locally with your ideals, but I want to go bigger in the end.’
## Mark Reijerman (24) Nutrition and Health Stadspartij (Local party)
I want to change the form of democracy we currently have
‘What I want to stand up for is giving the ordinary citizen more say in politics. Less weight should be given to the opinion of politicians themselves. Wind turbines should not be placed in Wageningen, for instance, because there are much more efficient places for them, looking at it nationally. Renovating the town hall costs millions and seems to be a prestige project. Ordinary citizens don’t gain anything by it. I think you have to be physically fit before you can achieve anything intellectually. That’s why I do a lot of sport. I was recently involved in setting up the Wageningen Beasts and Wageningen Debating. Local politics is new to me, so I certainly don’t have all the answers. It’s a steep learning curve for me. In the long run I want to change the form of democracy we currently have. The people concerned should have a direct say in important decisions. For that you need to be able to reach people. I would like to develop an app or a website in order to get students participating in discussion.’
## Carina Nieuwenweg (23) Molecular Life Sciences PvdA (Labour party)
I am reasonably self-disciplined myself
‘I want to connect students and the city literally and figuratively. Figuratively by continuing to draw attention to student housing, and literally by ensuring good accessibility, good public transport and safe cycle routes. I am always in the morning bike traffic jam on the Bornsesteeg myself. That junction has been an important issue for the PvdA for a while already, and luckily it looks as though that is going to change. If I am elected, there will be a busy time ahead. I am not worried about that, in fact I look forward to it. I spent three years in the army so I have a certain amount of self-discipline. If you get up an hour earlier every day you have five hours extra a week to spend on council work. At the weekends I might have less time for fun things, but it is more than worth it to me.’
Photo’s: Sven Menschel