Interview with DWARSe candidate Wouter Ubbink #34

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?

My name is Wouter Ubbink, I have been living in the municipality of Utrecht for two and a half years now. First in the Hoograven district, now in the Oost district.

Why are you running for the Provincial Assembly elections?

I am happy to support GroenLinks as a list pusher in the elections. Provincial Councils can make a difference where municipal or state policies sometimes fall short. Railways, air pollution and wildlife do not adhere to municipal boundaries, so you need to look at these issues from a higher level.

What do you do in daily life?

I am vice-president and political secretary of DWARS, GroenLinkse youth. So I deal with national politics on a daily basis. In addition, I am a biology student. As a student, one of the things I am learning is how to better protect biodiversity, both internationally and regionally.

Have you done anything in politics before?

Before this, I was Environment and Food committee chair at DWARS. There, I learnt a lot about agriculture and nature. To protect nature, green agricultural policies are essential. It is important to bring farmers and nature managers together so they can find solutions to problems such as insect mortality together.

Have you had a political passion for a long time?

I have been politically active for about two years now. Before, I was never that into politics because I thought it was too complicated. However, when you start looking for solutions to big issues like climate change, you cannot get away from the political aspects. Indeed, politics can be a great way to accelerate change.

Why is GroenLinks the party for you?

GroenLinks has a good plan to combat climate change that involves everyone. If you want people to invest in a heat pump or electric car, as a politician you have to put yourself in those people's shoes: how are they going to pay for it? As far as GroenLinks is concerned, the strongest shoulders carry the heaviest burden. In this case, that could be done by subsidising green energy and a tax on big polluters.

Who is your great role model?

I watch with great admiration how Bas Eickhout (GroenLinks) operates in the European Parliament. From the parliament it is difficult to get results, but he is very good at distinguishing main and side issues and thus getting people involved in international problems.

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

I am most concerned with nature management and agricultural policy. We need solutions to the risks caused by climate change, pesticides and monocultures. These risks exist both for people (crop failures) and for nature.

Why are these elections so important?

The Provincial Council is pre-eminently about ‘green’ issues: mobility, agriculture, but also spatial planning and where windmills will be located. Then it is extra important to vote for a party that has a vision on how to live in a ‘green’ society as soon as possible.

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

I hope I can make young people think. Many people barely know that you can vote for the Provincial Council, let alone that they know what all the province is making decisions about. This is not surprising, as much (online) media is focused on what happens in national politics. By showing as a list pusher that I, in particular, think the province is an important tier of government, people will hopefully start looking into provincial issues.

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

I will definitely join door-to-door walks to reach out to people. On social media, I like to share photos I have taken in nature, to show how special nature is, even in your own province. Sometimes I explain with the photos how politics affects a particular species.

What are your plans, should you not get elected?

I am going to write my thesis and finish my biology studies. And I will definitely stay active for DWARS.

What is your favourite animal?

Butterflies!

What is your guilty pleasure?

I try to buy a lot of clothes second-hand, but I secretly quite like shopping in Hoog Catharijne.