Interview with DWARSe candidate Bas Mekel #37

You've decided: This time, you're going to vote for a young person who can bring about change in the province of Utrecht with fresh eyes. (Or you're just interested of course ;)) But who? Don't panic! In the coming time, we will be interviewing all DWARSe candidates (=young candidates on GroenLinks's list) in the province of Utrecht. In this first interview, we find out all about Bas Mekel who is in position 37.

Who are you and where are you from?

I am Bas, 23 years old and now a happy resident of the city of Utrecht for almost four years.

Why are you running for the Provincial Assembly elections?

Through my biology studies, I learn a lot about how our earth is slowly breaking down and all nature is disappearing. I think it is time to stop pushing nature further and further back and instead create more space for nature.

What do you do in daily life?

I am studying biology, focusing mainly on ecology and wildlife management. I am also working on getting my teaching qualification.

Have you done anything in politics before?

I have never run for government office before, but politics is of course much more than government office. I regularly go to protests and talk to grassroots representatives and university administrators about how I think things could be better. All politics too, if you ask me.

Have you had a political passion for a long time?

From the age of 18, I became increasingly activist, seeing that there is a lot of inequality in the world. Immediately linked to this also came an interest in politics, as politicians ultimately shape our society. So the most effective way to change something is through politics. So now I have been politically active for over five years.

Why is GroenLinks the party for you?

What appeals to me is the combination of three spearheads. The first spearhead is that everyone is equal and deserves an equal chance. Indeed, to my horror, this is not a widely accepted position in Dutch politics. The second spearhead is that GroenLinks is very liberal on a personal level, i.e. that you can dress and do whatever you want as long as you don't hurt anyone else. The third spearhead, of course, is sustainability. Like me, GroenLinks wants us to do things differently and radically to ensure that the earth remains a nice place for everyone, while also taking the other two spearheads into account.

Who is your great role model?

This is a difficult question, but I think one of the most inspiring people for me is Henry David Thoreau. He figured out over a hundred and fifty years ago that it is your duty as a citizen to break the law when the law is bad. He was also an ecologist and believed that the environment should be better protected. So he combined all my great passions back then, but way before my time.

Which issues do you think are most important in this election?

I don't think this is a fair question. You cannot solve environmental problems without tackling inequality, and you cannot tackle inequality without tackling racism. Ultimately, all problems overlap or reinforce each other, so choosing between problems is not possible, I think.

Why are these elections so important?

All elections are important, of course, but this time we can opt for the whole province to really work on becoming a clean and green province, and in addition we can also influence national policy through the elections to the Senate (which is, of course, a poor democratic system).

What do you want to do for young people this election?

I want to show that young people are being heard. Our generations have a totally different view of the world than the ageing politicians who now often rule the provinces. It is time for this more global and environmentally conscious worldview to permeate provincial politics as well.

How do you plan to reach and engage young people more in provincial politics?

I have been committed to DWARS Utrecht for many years; obviously to involve many young people in municipal politics. I hope that through DWARS Utrecht more and more provincial issues can be discussed. Also, together with DWARS and GroenLinks, I go past the doors of student houses to ask students what we can do for them.

If you had to sum up all your plans in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

Not so much a summary of my plans, but more my philosophy of life:
RRAAAA BIG CAPITAL!!!

What are your plans, should you not get elected?

Keep on studying, teaching biology and, of course, pester the elected Statesmen with my ideas.

What is your favourite animal?

I am not a specious person, so of course I am not going to choose between animals.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Grease! However, I don't feel guilty about it at all and am just heartily proud of it. It's more a question of how anyone can't melt away at John Travolta.