Small Changes to Make Utrecht a Better Place

Interview with Utrecht’s Mayor, Aleid Wolfsen (PvdA/Labour Party)

Anton Stam

While living inside the bubble it’s easy to forget we are part of the city of Utrecht. Aleid Wolfsen, the mayor of Utrecht, talks about the influence of Utrecht’s city politics on our lives. And about why we should care.

“I actually ended up in politics by coincidence,” Mr. Wolfsen recalls. “I was a judge in Amsterdam. I wasn’t very involved in politics, but some years later I was elected into the Second Chamber. When I then heard the previous mayor of Utrecht had resigned, I went for it. I had always wanted to be a mayor. I was quite proud of my victory.”

Uithof Central Station

“As a city council, we work very hard on supporting student housing and public transportation,” Mr. Wolfsen said.

An example of an improvement is a tram line connecting the station and the Uithof that will start running in 2018. “The plans have been there for a very long time, but they were always very controversial as the route went directly through the inner city. Our current route goes around the city centre. We have now finally made the decision and the tram line is being built.”

Currently, bus 12 is the best way to get to the station from the Uithof. The Mayor finds the current situation “quite desperate”. “Once, we assembled a group of people involved in this project at 8 AM at the central station to take bus 12 to the Uithof. We had to practically be squeezed into that bus to fit everyone in. As a city council, that experience really motivated us to finalise the plans for the tram line.”

Student loans

The Mayor supports the new cabinet’s decision to transform the student grants into student loans. “When you are a student, and you can look forward to an income that lies above the average, it is fair to demand you pay some of that back later in your life.”

Yet, Mr. Wolfsen thinks that everyone who is able and willing to study should be able to do so. “Your parents’ financial situation should never, ever be a constraint. I believe that firstly because I’m a social democrat and secondly because the future of our country relies upon a well-educated population. Especially for a country like the Netherlands. Therefore, the loans will function in such a way that you will only have to pay them back if your income is higher than a certain level.”

Utrecht as a province

The new cabinet has also resolved to merge the provinces Utrecht, Flevoland and NoordHolland. “They have agreed to work towards five final provinces, which could entail, for example, a merger of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe, but that is all speculation at this point.”

The Mayor does not know exactly what consequences this would have for Utrecht.

“The provinces have specific tasks, and I don’t think it matters much whether they are executed here in Utrecht, or in another city.”

Success and looking back

“One thing I’ve always remembered from my career is the general parole that was organised for all immigrants who had been stuck in bureaucratic processes for many years, back in 2003. The measure was accepted with a margin of a few votes. At that moment I felt: these are the things that really change a country. It was very moving to be able to be a part of that.

Mr. Wolfsen hasn’t decided if he will run for a second term. “To me, success is a combination of two things. On the one hand, being seen as successful by the outside world, on the other hand, doing something that personally gives you a feeling of happiness. ... Looking back, I’ve been able to make a small contribu- tion to this country and this city. I am really thankful for that.”

“There are knives in Dining Hall and luckily enough, people don’t just grab a knife and stab other students,” says Nelemans. “In a way the card is protected by the trust and goodwill of the students, which defines our community.” Seems like all we are left with is the hope that each and every one of us lives up to these high expectations.

Politics as Unusual Robert van Schaik

Just before the last Dutch parliamentary elections, Jan Nagel (73), with a history in politics in parties all over the political spectrum, founded a party that thus far was unique for the Netherlands: 50+.

The 50+ party – the first thing it makes me think of is the ripeness of Gouda cheese at the supermarket – must be the ugliest name ever given to a Dutch political party. According to Nagel, my parents (and most of our Dutch campus’ parents) should vote 50+, because that is in their enlightened self-interest. With a vote for 50+ they can safeguard their much awaited pension and social security benefits. Truly, we have now come across the most oppressive form of politics: a conservative interest group solely focused on the wellbeing of a select portion of The Netherlands’ citizens.

The first program point of the 50+ party argues that the annual contribution to the pension fund should rise by 8%. Not a single introductory remark is made about a desired political course for the Netherlands. Why would one vote? “If you vote 50+, you know that we will continue to represent the interests of the elderly,” said party leader Henk Krol (62).

50+ actually advises its supporters the following: Focus on the overall importance and what is involved. Just think of yourself. Your whole life, you have had a stable job, you’ve taken full advantage of decades of economic growth and you’ve accumulated impressive pension rights. Why compromise?

The 50+ party is the aged version of the stereotypical tart Party Against Everything, a party founded on the basis of the slogan “Together for our own good”.

Some say that for example the Dutch Party for the Animals, which focuses solely on the protection of animals, also has just a few, narrow interests. Sure, but that program is not limited to a narrow, well-defined group of the population. The Party for the Animals considers animal welfare from an ecological perspective, which includes less consumption, sustainability and alternative energy elements. You do not need to share their vision to understand their perspective.

What about the labor movement, which was set up at the end of the nineteenth century, not only in the Netherlands but in almost every other European country? Isn’t this also purely based on self-interest? Of course, but with the big difference that at the time, not even the slightest rights existed for the proletariat. Moreover, the advocates of the labor movement itself understood the wrought system at the time, but nonetheless projected their ideals to save those that, thanks to capitalism, were between a rock and a hard place.

Fortunately, I’m sure my parents won’t vote 50+. If there is one lesson they have taught me, it is to take care of the people who aren’t as fortunate as you are. The selfishness of this party is directly contrary to the elder generation’s guiding principle: solidarity.