DWARSers for the States: Jonathan Thijs

Young people are incredibly important for the province. That is why we let all DWARSe candidates from GroenLinks Zuid-Holland have their say with an interview! To kick off, today you can read the interview with our youngest candidate: Jonathan Thijs (spot 17).

Can you briefly introduce yourself?

I am Jonathan, 16 years old (17 at election time, with spot 17!), and I live in Leiden. I go to Leiden's Stedelijk Gymnasium and am currently in my exam year there. I have actually been active in the debate world for quite some time now, competing in all kinds of different tournaments: international MUN conferences, national competitions, and competitions in the Benelux. GroenLinkser I am at heart, and after joining DWARS, I would now like to work for GroenLinks in the Provincial Council as well. Besides all this, I like many things, I am a real bon vivant. For instance, I play the piano, do water polo and badminton, love to read, and get totally happy standing in the kitchen.

How did you end up at DWARS?

I've been with DWARS for about a year now. That's kind of a fun story. Actually, it started around the school elections, which I organised, at my school. I steered the GroenLinks party there a bit. Before that, I went to GroenLinks's local campaign department for the municipal elections, where I was given materials and had a nice time discussing GroenLinks and the campaign. That is also where my first direct link with DWARS arose, through the presence of a member. For a long time I did have the idea in my head to do more with GroenLinks, and that's how I ended up with DWARS. When the election itself came, on the night of that amazing result, I tied the knot and registered immediately.

Why did you run for the Provincial Assembly?

I applied because I was keen to take my involvement in the world of debate and GroenLinks to a new level, and -perhaps more importantly- think it is a great symbol to be on the list, bearing in mind my young age. Indeed, there is quite a gap between the people and the provincial house. This can be seen in the low turnout in PS elections. Apparently, people, especially the young, don't think the Provincial Council is important enough to go to the polls for it. They often don't know what it is, let alone what it does. This symbol lets a fresh wind blow through provincial politics, one that resonates more with young adults. In this way, I hope to bring them back into the Provincial Council as well, which is why I stood as a candidate.

What would you do if you were elected?

Actually, my plans build on what I have just said. My biggest spearhead is going to be to increase engagement between citizens and the province. This can be done one-on-one, but also through policy. For instance, Anneloes van Hunnik, current member of the GroenLinks Zuid-Holland provincial executive, has managed to get adopted documents rewritten in "normal" Dutch so that everyone can read and understand them. This kind of action is necessary to include everyone in the affairs of the province. That is why I will make a strong case for it.

Provincial governments also play an important role in promoting the many forms of equality. This is where I would like to fit in, passionately driving forward the production of rainbow municipalities and rainbow zebra crossings. In addition -certainly in the Provincial Council- climate is of course extremely important. So I would like to be involved in guarding our nature reserve, regulating environmentally polluting companies, and slowly colouring our beautiful (yet grey) province green!

Do you have a favourite quote or one-liner?

Voices should not only be counted and heard, the most important thing is to listen to them.