Letter from DWARS and youth organisations to informateur

DWARS is working with other youth organisations to demand a place at the formation table, so that in conversation with the informateur we can identify what young people are most concerned about. DWARS is not happy with the current composition of forming parties. Still, we want to tell the next cabinet what we really think is important, such as making it a top priority to tackle the climate crisis fairly, provide affordable housing for young people, reverse the cuts in youth care, improve youth participation, etc. See below the letter we are sending to the informateur:

Dear informateur,

On 24 October 2023, the House of Representatives passed the Drost/Sneller motion (35788-227)
adopted, calling for young people to be invited to the formation table to
discuss the impact of policy intentions on future generations.
Informateur Putters, in his final report last Thursday, recommended that in the
upcoming phase of cabinet formation to engage young people and implement
this motion.

Five of the largest civil society youth organisations are striking to implement the
Drost/Sneller motion would like to join hands with a broad representation of political
youth organisations. Also in 2021, five representatives of youth organisations were
already invited to participate during the formation, and in the upcoming formation period
we would like to work on the next step in youth participation in the
cabinet formation. By 2024, we want to move beyond a single conversation between young people and
informateur, and actually ensure that young people can participate in the
solutions for our generation in the next coalition agreement.

Indeed, that the voice of young people is heard at the formation table is of greater importance
than ever before. The Nibud shows that half of young people last year struggled with
make ends meet, the average starter can only 3.4% of houses on the buying market
pay, and RIVM figures show that young people's mental health is also years
after the corona crisis is still at an all-time low. In addition, there are large
and broad concerns about, for example, climate policy, uncertainty around repayment
of their student debt and the problems in youth care. In a large number of areas, the
position of young people over the past few years has thus continued to deteriorate.

Together, youth organisations have a clear picture of how the participation of our
generation in the formation is meaningful. Youth civil society organisations
can from our various constituencies (representing the broad group of young people from 12 to 29
cover years), based on existing research and in consultation with other
youth (organisations) advise the informateur and the forming parties from the
lifeworld of young people. Next, it is important that young people are actively involved in
the agreements that the forming parties actually make with each other. In it
political youth organisations take responsibility, when the forming parties
adequately involve them in the formation process.

We don't just want to raise issues, but also offer concrete solutions
which a next cabinet can work on. Of course, young people and certainly
The political youth organisations co-sponsoring this letter thereby disagreeing on
exactly what policies from a next administration will be needed for our generation. Still, we see
our organisations a shared interest for the generation we represent. From
that shared interest, and with explicit space for these mutual differences, supports
also a broad representation of political youth organisations - whose
parent parties together account for a large majority in both the Second and First
Chamber - the following 10 calls towards the informateur and the forming parties:

Heed the call of the House of Representatives and develop a national
youth strategy.
The Netherlands is making maximum efforts to meet climate targets. Make the
climate transition equitable and affordable through fair prices and the principle that the
polluter pays. In addition, make public transport an attractive alternative
for the car, for example with an affordable and unlimited monthly subscription.
Make housing available and affordable again for young people, with a nationwide,
integral plan for youth and student housing. For example, expand the
regulated middle rent and reduce the impact of student debt on the
mortgage.
Put young people back in a sound financial position. Work towards a fair
allowance for the 'unlucky generation' and an apprenticeship allowance in deficit sectors.
Provide accessible education that focuses on the development pupil and student
State. Reduce school fees for vo and mbo, allow for a
tailor-made degree and reform funding for college and university institutions.
Make a plan with young people to get their mental health back on track
get, pay attention to leisure activities and strengthen the connection between care
and education.
Deliver youth care to every young person who needs it. To do so, relax the
age limit in the Youth Act and scrap plans for an additional cut of
half a billion on youth care. Provide financial security for municipalities
around the reforms planned for youth care.
Make work of the generation test and invest it in an appropriate place.
Offer young farmers prospects and work with them on clear future plans for
strong and future-proof agriculture.
Strengthen the position of youth organisations and help us remove barriers
take for young people to have their voices heard and participate through these organisations
take part in political decision-making.

Our proposal to develop the Drost/Sneller motion is to have an initial discussion with you as the
informateur and the forming parties to take the above ten challenges further and deeper
discuss. In addition, we would like to explore which of the above themes the
Forming parties find appropriate within a concise coalition agreement and which ones they prefer to
to the House of Representatives. We are also naturally curious to know on what themes
the forming parties see the voice of young people as especially important. Subsequently, they would
we would like to work out concrete solution directions with the forming parties for the
ten themes mentioned above.

In doing so, we consider it important that the coalition agreement of the next cabinet
future-proofed. The motion mentioned in this letter therefore calls for the impact
of policy intentions for future generations. The decisions that
we make now will in fact have lasting impact on our generation and on that of the
generations after us. We would therefore like to see the long-term effects of the
decisions in the coalition agreement are mapped out using a (strengthened and
advanced) generation test.
Making youth participation structural transcends party politics and is a goal that
clearly widely supported. Let us therefore structurally and constructively collaborate on
a future-proof coalition agreement. We would like to work with you as informateur and with the
forming parties this important step towards future-proof politics. We hope
that we have thereby given you a good initial idea about the possibilities for
giving young people an active role within the formation process. We look forward to here
speak to you further about it.

Sincerely,
Kimberley Snijders, National Youth Council (NJR
Dion Huidekooper, Young Climate Movement (JKB)
Rafke Hagenaars, National Action Committee for School Students (LAKS)
Miray Özügüzel, Youth Organisation for Vocational Education (JOB MBO)
Demi Janssen, Interstedelijk Studentenoverleg (ISO)

Mauk Bresser, Freedom and Democracy Youth Organisation (JOVD)
Rick Timmermans, DWARS
Iris Vrolijks, Young Socialists (JS)
Eva Brandemann, Young Social Contract (JSC)
Floris van der Valk, Young Democrats (JD)
Marije van Velthoven, BBB Jong
Kevin Klinkspoor, Christian Democratic Youth Appeal (CDJA)
Jerke Setz, PerspectieF
Bart Hemmes, Volt Violet

Co-signatories:
PINK
SGP Youth
Young Scientific Bureau GroenLinks
LKVV
YoungRegion
Student Sports
IFMSA-NL
LOCI
Scouting Netherlands
I4Nature