DWARS at the GroenLinks Congress: proposals and motions adopted

On Saturday 16 February, the GroenLinks congress was in Zwolle, and DWARS attended! At the congress, our president Julia spoke. She spoke about the climate generation: the current cabinet is doing too little to represent the voice of the 15,000 young people on Malieveld. She also called on GroenLinks to pay more attention to inclusiveness, open debate and promoting our ideals and positions, even if they might be seen as controversial.

DWARS also tabled a number of motions and proposed amendments. The motions are calls that DWARS makes to the party leadership or other bodies within GroenLinks. The motions for amendments are proposals by which we supplement or adjust GroenLinks's political programme for the European Parliament elections. Our adopted motions and amendment proposals can be found below:

Motions adopted:

Motion Discussion on the loan system

Noting that

• GroenLinks agreed to the loan system in order to make borrowing for study under more social conditions and with the promise that the funds freed up would be invested in the quality and accessibility of education.

• The social conditions under which GroenLinks supported the loan system are undermined by the increase in interest rates on student debt. As a result, the amount students have to repay will increase. That will cost 5,000 euros for average debt. That's 12 euros a month for 35 years.
• Investment in the quality of education has not been made sufficiently. The Court of Audit concluded that in total only a third of the pre-investments were traceably invested within the agreed frameworks. In addition, cuts are being made to the lump sum (funds for materials and staff) and to education in general with the efficiency cut.
• The accessibility of education since the Study Advance Act has declined. Reports show that fewer hbo and WO students are moving on to a master's degree. The percentage of first-generation students (students whose parents did not study) in higher education is decreasing. The flow of MBO students with a migration background to higher education is decreasing.
• Not only is access to higher education restricted, but also the success of certain groups of students once they have entered. Students with disabilities are still more likely than others to fall behind with their studies. Students with parents with a lower level of education or income are more likely to drop out and switch. This also applies to students with a non-western migration background. Children of highly educated and/or more affluent parents are one and a half times more likely to go abroad for (part of) their studies. First-generation students are less likely to hold a management position and less likely to participate in an excellence programme.

Whereas

• The promises made to GroenLinks, which supported the loan scheme, regarding the social nature of the loan scheme, quality investment and accessibility to education, are not being kept.
• Financial incentives should never underlie the choice to study or not (continue).
• There has been no internal discussion on forms of financing students while, due to increasing aversion to the loan system, among other things, now is the time to have that discussion.

Calls...

... the party leadership to organise a party-wide discussion on different forms of student finance, so that studying remains accessible. Studying should be possible regardless of wallet, background and study path. Daar at is the scientific bureau de Helling betrokken to investigate alternatives, such as the study allowance and study tax system, and organisations with expertise invited such as the ISO and the LSVb. De programme committee is togebraved to take note of that discussion and form the position for the programme vear the following election programme.

... in the meantime the political groups of the House of Representatives and Senate are committed to restoring promises and in the Upper House requirementt the group That at least one of the broken promises being restored by the new investments if the cabinet supports seeks at the higher education file.

Amendments adopted:

Amendment proposal Quota

Original text - 14 EMANCIPATION AT THE TOP EU institutions ensure proportional representation of women and minorities in top European positions.

Proposal 7 DWARS - MANNENQUOTA - Replace whole paragraph with: With binding rules, including quotas, the EU institutions ensure proportional representation of men, women and minorities in top European positions.

Comment - (A better gender ratio has been on the agenda for years, but change has been too slow. If we really want better representation of women and minorities at the top, we should put a cap on men).

Opinion - Party leadership: Adoption

Amendment proposal Train network

Original text - 1 EUROPEAN TRAIN CONNECTIONS The EU encourages good cross-border public transport, especially by train. The distance within which trains are a good means of transport should be increased. For medium distances, a fast network between metropolises is created. For long distances, the night train makes a comeback and the European network of night trains is further expanded. Barriers to international travel will be removed through better cooperation between national train providers. Connections between border regions are improved. Only where necessary will new connections be built in the network.

Proposal 13 DWARS - EU RAILWAY - Between 'in particular by train.' (...) Add 'The distance within which'. 'An agency takes responsibility for making a European train network a reality.'

Clarification - The original text talks about a fast train network between different cities, but it does not say who is responsible for this or how it should be created. DWARS would like one institution to take the initiative in this: an agency (semi-governmental organisation), similar to the NS in the Netherlands. That way there is a central organisation with a mandate to create the European network and there is no need to
endless consultations between carriers from different countries. Not every track needs to be replaced if it is already there, but there will be European trains).

Amendment proposal Sex workers

Proposal 18 DWARS SEXWORKERS - Add to the programme: 8. [Accessible care for sex workers] Sex workers should be able to carry out their work safely and healthily. The EU promotes initiatives that empower sex workers and develops new policies in good consultation with sex workers themselves, with health and good access to care at the forefront.

Comment - There is nothing about sex workers in the programme, although they often face discriminatory and exclusionary practices. Given sex work is banned in many member states, there are few rights we can stand up for, but we should at least stand for access to care.