Interview with DWARSe candidate Jens Bosman #16

You have decided: This time you are going to vote for a young person. One who can bring change to the province of Utrecht with a fresh perspective. (Or you're just interested of course ;)) But for whom? Don't panic! In the coming period, we will be interviewing all DWARSe candidates (=young candidates on GroenLinks's list) in the province of Utrecht. In this interview, you can read more about Suzanne Vrielink and why she is a candidate.

Who are you and where are you from?

I am Jens Bosman, 16 years old and I am from Zeist.

Why are you running for the Provincial Assembly elections?

Because it is important that the Provincial Council elections get the attention of young people that they deserve. The influence of these elections is very big and without the voice of young people, we will get regional and national coalitions that will not stand up for young people. So I want to get as many young people to the polls as possible.

What do you do in daily life?

I am in the fifth year of vwo at Werkplaats Kindergemeenschap in Bilthoven and am an Activities board member at DWARS Utrecht. Sometimes I do a round of cycling.

Have you done anything in politics before?

I have been a member of DWARS for a year and a half now and of GroenLinks for eight months. I was on the editorial board of OverDWARS for a while and I helped campaign for the city council in 2018.

Have you had a political passion for a long time?

I have always been interested, yes. I only became really active in 2017, but before that I also followed the news around politics above average.

Why is GroenLinks the party for you?

Because it is the only party that matches my own views well on the issues I find important. GroenLinks has a nice commitment to the welfare state and market criticism, as well as mobility and rejuvenation.

Who is your great role model?

Alexander Dubček, the man who tried to give socialism a ‘human face’ in the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, the Soviets were not so fond of him, otherwise the Czech Republic could have been a good example of a fine social society establishment.

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

In particular, policies on mobility. First, as a student city, it is important that Utrecht has good public transport connections to other places where students live, such as Zeist, Amersfoort and other centres within the province. At the same time, new connections to Almere and Breda, for example, are needed for better travel times. De Uithof should also be looked at and further scaling up public transport in that direction and with the cores around it. We cannot use a debacle like the Uithof line again, so it must be done properly.

Why are these elections so important?

Because young people and the rest of the Utrecht population can show where they want to go;not only provincially, but also nationally. The coalition may, no, is going to, lose its majority in the Senate. If we want constructively different policies and want to have a say in them, we need young people to see that this is necessary. That is what I am going for in this campaign.

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

In any case, ensure that good accessibility to the Uithof is high on the agenda, even before the Uithof line starts running. More is also needed with that area after that.

How do you plan to reach out/make young people more involved in provincial politics?

In any provincial plan that has a direct impact on young people, the province should ensure that young people, as well as others, are allowed to have a say in these plans. So this also applies to De Uithof and mobility. Being approachable and removing the image of a distant institution is something the province needs to work on strongly.

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

More OV, hup young people and fuck big business.

What are your plans, should you not get elected?

That's pretty much in the cards just because of age, but that doesn't stop me from still working provincially and nationally for the good cause. The European elections are already in May, so we are moving on. The caravan moves on!

What is your favourite animal?

I am more changeable than the weather in De Bilt, but currently a capybara. I think I should hold onto that one until the election. Cute animal.

What is your guilty pleasure?

De Streek Van, the parody on Het Land Van that Stijn Rombouts and I made together. Turned out to be a fun track. I also like to throw around asans West-Fries twiske my phrases now and then.