Who were the candidates for the 2024-2025 board year?

This message was written before the AAV on 22 June. Title former: “Who are the board candidates of Brabant-Zeeland?”

It is already almost time to elect the successors of Board Goos. Saturday 22 June is the Brabant-Zeeland Summer AAV. Do you suffer from choice stress? To help with that, we are doing something new this year. A short interview with all board candidates so you can get to know them a little. Or maybe so you can prepare the really critical questions for Saturday. It's up to you! In any case, the candidates are looking forward to it.💚❤️💜

Presidential candidates

Nordin Kole

Who are you and what do you do in daily life?
Hello, I am Nordin Kole, 25 years old. I have just graduated with a master's degree in Philosophy and am now looking for work in the public sector. I am also a lover of cooking, chores, cats and karaoke.

Why are you at DWARS?
Originally, I became active in DWARS after I was already active in GroenLinks and they wanted to actively support DWARSe candidates in the provincial council election. I went to activities, and being the person I am, I wanted to give something back after supporting them in the election. I have not regretted it for a moment and have since been able to make many friends at our fine association.

What is your biggest political dream?
I think my biggest political dream is hard to put into words. I wish everyone could do the work they want. That everyone would have enough free time left over to enjoy life, and contribute to their community. And if I can add one concrete thing to that, it would be in a Netherlands without a king, because I am not a fan of unelected heads of state.

Brabant or Zeeland?
I cannot choose one of these two over the other in general. But I prefer to spend my summers in Zeeland and the rest of the year in equally beautiful Brabant.

What is your favourite dessert?
I don't often do desserts, but Mona's raspberry pudding is one I will always say yes to.

Bart Leloux

Who are you and what do you do in daily life?
I am Bart Leloux, 24 years old and I study Construction Engineering at the Avans Hogeschool in Tilburg and I also work at Hornbach as a salesman in the construction department.

Why are you at DWARS?
I'm at DWARS because at DWARS I feel I can always be myself and never have to hold myself back when I get too deep into politics again. Oh well, the conviviality and Aperol Spritz helps too.

What is your biggest political dream?
My personal biggest political dream is of course chairman of DWARS Brabant-Zeeland. My biggest political dream for the Netherlands is a cabinet that treats every person as a person. This should be logical, but this is far from it in today's political climate.

Brabant or Zeeland?
I am a Zeeuw who has lived in Brabant for 5 of the past 6 years and I am still hardly to be found in Zeeland. Still, I fear I have to choose Zeeland, because I always feel more connected to Kapelle than to Tilburg or Eindhoven.

What is your favourite dessert?
It seems nothing more than logical to me that that is butterscotch ice cream

Treasurer candidate

Karlijne Wiegers

Who are you and what do you do in daily life?
I am Karlijne Wiegers, I am 17 years old and in 4 VWO. Outside of that, I work at the Ekoplaza in Breda. I love writing immensely and am currently working on the fourth draft of my first book.

Why are you at DWARS?
Politics keeps me very busy, in the words of a friend, “All you do is politics”. My father is actively involved in GroenLinks and told me what it is like to surround yourself with people who share the same political beliefs.
I was very excited to sign up, but I was so well received that all those tensions disappeared and gave way to curiosity. Now I would really like to become more politically active and get more people involved in DWARS.

What is your biggest political dream?
Becoming a People's Representative for GroenLinks/PvdA in the Lower House.

Brabant or Zeeland?
Of course, I was born in Brabant and will always be a Brabo at heart. Zeeland is very beautiful though, my grandma and grandpa live there, so I love going there!

What is your favourite dessert?
Then again, that really is the blissful chocolate, a (vegan) mousse made from silken tofu. My mother rarely makes it, but how delicious it is.

Secretary candidate

Imme Zander

Who are you and what do you do in daily life?
I'm Imme, a Data Science, Computer Science and Mathematics student at UCR. So a STEM girlie, but I am also very interested in politics and climate. I have two Maine Coons: Mintie and Bear. In my spare time I like to play board games, obsess over Eurovision and random Balkan or Finnish music, I also really like horror movies!

Why are you at DWARS?
I am in DWARS because I have found climate incredibly important since I was a child. Last year I was at a PvdA-Groenlinks Townhall in Middelburg. Hugely nervous, I asked Jesse Klaver in a trembling voice a semi-incoherent question about the loan system. Immediately after the Townhall, with my head still half-red, I was quickly accosted by all DWARSers. It wasn't long before I became a member. That was really an incredibly good choice, I did so many fun things and met great people!!!

What is your biggest political dream?
My political dream is to solve climate change. Much easier said than done, I know. But I want to at least do my bit, even if it's just a pebble. I would really like to use data science to help create more green technologies. Or climate modelling to better predict where and when climate disasters are going to happen, and how we would prepare for them.

Brabant or Zeeland?
ZEELAND!!!!
I may have grown up less 10km from the Brabant border, but I am really 100% Limburgian. Now that I have lived in Middelburg for almost two years, I feel like a real Zeeuw as well as a Limburger. It really is a beautiful province, bit of a pity the trains never work and there are so many SGPers. But besides that it's slay, all love to Zeeland <3

What is your favourite dessert?
I'm usually not really a dessert person. But once in a while, when it's really hot I make a vegan milkshake. 9 times out of 10 I give myself brainfreeze but t is worth t 100%. Also, you can always offer me a delicious piece of crumbly flan, but that's not exclusive to dessert, flan can and should be eaten gwn 24/7.

General Board member candidates

Vera Langens

Who are you and what do you do in daily life?
I am Vera, 23 years old, and in daily life I am working on my Research Master Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies at Utrecht University. Here, I am mainly doing research on medieval magic, such as predictions of the future and spirit summoning. I am almost graduated now (my thesis deadline is the day before the AAV so that will be a struggle) and after this I plan to look for a PhD position. Outside my studies, I like to go to concerts, read a little too many books, and often start creative projects that I then never finish.

Why are you at DWARS?
I joined DWARS exactly one day after the Lower House elections because I was frustrated with the political direction of the Netherlands. The gains of the extreme right made me feel powerless and I wanted to work for a more left-wing and fairer Netherlands. This has so far worked out very well at DWARS and a board position would be a great next step!

What is your biggest political dream?
I think it would be very nice if everyone became more aware of the effects of overconsumption. I am amazed every time how quickly people throw things away and buy something new, often on webshops from outside the European Union that treat their employees badly and sell products that do not meet our quality requirements. This throwaway culture is bad for people, animals, and for the environment. I would really like to see people using more second-hand shops and online platforms with second-hand clothes and products. It would also be great if people would go to repair cafes more or learn to repair their things themselves (small repairs to clothes, for example, are not difficult at all). It is super important to think carefully before making a new purchase and ask yourself whether you really need or are going to use that product. My biggest political dream is for people to start thinking about this more. I would also love to take a selfie with Jesse Klaver one day.

Brabant or Zeeland?
I was born in Den Bosch, so I fear my passport would be ritually burnt if I gave the answer ‘Zeeland’ here. So I have to say Brabant here, although I definitely have a soft spot for Zeeland too because I got to do my first real research for the Municipality of Goes.

What is your favourite dessert?
I love ice cream in almost all flavours! I only hate mint-chocolate, but otherwise you can always wake me up for an ice cream. I also really dislike the chocolate-orange combination, but fortunately, as far as I know, that has never been made into ice cream.

Aitana Pallas

Who are you and what do you do in daily life?
Hi everyone! I'm Aitana, and I am from Spain (Valencia and Cataluña). Currently I'm studying a Master's in Law and Technology at Tilburg University. I am also a Political Advisor (PA) for Privacy and Technology at DWARS :)))

Why are you at DWARS?
I initially did not plan on becoming active at DWARS when I joined in September last year. When I moved to The Netherlands I had never been politically active at an organisation, and the idea of being active in a Dutch speaking organisation was very intimidating. As a non-Dutch person/speaker, me being at DWARS comes not only from wanting to be politically active, learn from, or from wanting to use the knowledge I had gotten from my studies for the benefit of others. The reason why I became active also happened because it is both accessible and welcoming, and I am very grateful for that!

What is your biggest political dream?
This is a very long shot but one of my biggest political dreams is to be involved in the process to regulate something related to Big Tech and digital rights in the European Parliament. Or to be a judge/advocate general (AG) for the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) or European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Brabant or Zeeland?
Yes.

What is your favourite dessert?
My favourite dessert has always been bracito quemado de nata (it's a type of Swiss roll filled with whipped cream and covered in a cream made of egg yolks and sugar). I've also recently become a big fan of tompouce!