Young and on the candidate list: Imraan el Hamdaoui #16

On 15 March are the Provincial Council elections. What is there to choose? Ahead of the elections, we talk to some of GroenLinks's young candidates and explain why they are standing as candidates. In this interview, you can read more about Imraan el Hamdaoui, number 16 on the list.

Who are you, where are you from and what do you do in daily life?

Hey hi everyone, Imraan here. 27 years old and walking around Utrecht. I do Social Work, I do some voluntary work with children and the elderly and I often complain about how shitty the VVD is. I am also active at DWARS as a board member of DWARS Utrecht, political advisor at national for the theme 'More Inclusive Society' and I am a member of the Inclusion Working Group.

Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you like to have another coffee with?

Quint Odaantje, the hero of Utrecht. A man with a father from Sri Lanka and a mother from the Netherlands, he was one of the great fighters for Dutch democracy. He went so far as to join in the small revolution in 1785 to dismantle the corrupt Utrecht City Council.

What is your most controversial opinion?

If you are leftist and you don't vote for GroenLinks then you are fake leftist.

Why are you running for provincial elections and why for GroenLinks?

Because GroenLinks is for more social renting and against usurious renting. Because we are for climate plans that work and against profit over nature. Because we are for better cooperation with the left and against the far right. We are a top party and we should not forget that.

I myself want to participate in positive change in the Netherlands and it is time for minorities and young people to speak up. We have had the same kind of people in power for too long and we can all see now that it is not working.

People think that GroenLinks is too idealistic. To people like that, I say: more can be done than you think. Stop thinking negatively and help us to have a future in the Netherlands where everyone has opportunities to be the best version of themselves.

What themes do you want to work for in the province?

Inclusion, arts and culture, employment and public transport

Why is it important to vote in this election?

It is important to vote in all elections. But now we have a chance to make the left's voice heard louder. Stop the right-wing policies that are busy destroying our future, vote for GroenLinks and ensure a better future for you and me.

What do you want to do for young people in these elections and how do you plan to engage them more?

Better public transport. Young people need accessible and affordable public transport to get to school, work or social activities, for example. The province of Utrecht can therefore focus on improving public transport, offering discounts or even free public transport for young people. But also improving employment opportunities. Consider subsidies and initiatives for young people. Especially for MBO graduates, these opportunities should be there.

On March 15th, the elections for the Provincial States elections will take place. What is there to choose? In the run-up to the elections, we speak with some young candidates from GroenLinks and they explain why they are a candidate. In this interview, you can read more about Imraan el Hamdaoui, number 16 on the list.

Who are you, where are you from, and what do you do in your daily life? Hey everyone, Imraan here. I'm 27 years old and live in Utrecht. I study Social Work, do some volunteer work with children and the elderly, and often complain about how terrible the VVD is. I'm also active in DWARS as a board member of DWARS Utrecht, political advisor for the theme 'More Inclusive Society' nationally, and I'm a member of the Inclusion working group.

Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you like to have coffee with? Quint Odaantje, the hero of Utrecht. He was a man with a father from Sri Lanka and a mother from the Netherlands, and one of the great fighters for Dutch democracy. He went so far as to help in the small revolution to dismantle the corrupt Utrecht City Council in 1785.

What is your most controversial opinion? If you're left-wing and you don't vote for GroenLinks, then you're fake left.

Why are you a candidate for the Provincial States elections and why for GroenLinks? Because GroenLinks is for more social housing and against exorbitant rent. Because we are for climate plans that work and against profit over nature. Because we are for better cooperation with the left and against the far-right. We are a top party, and we must not forget that. I want to contribute to a positive change in the Netherlands, and it's time for minorities and young people to speak up. We've had the same kind of people in power for too long, and we can all see that it's not working. People think GroenLinks is too idealistic. To those people, I say: there's more that you can do than you think. Stop thinking negatively and help us to have a future in the Netherlands where everyone has the opportunity to be the best version of themselves.

What themes do you want to focus on in the Province? Inclusion, arts and culture, employment, and public transport.

Why is it important to vote in these elections? It's important to vote in all elections. But now we have the chance to make the left-wing voice louder. Stop the right-wing policies that are destroying our future, vote for GroenLinks, and create a better future for you and me.

What do you want to do for young people in these elections, and how do you want to involve them more? Better public transport. Young people need accessible and affordable public transport to get to school, work, or social activities. The province of Utrecht can focus on improving public transport, offering discounts or even free public transport for young people. But also, improving employment opportunities. Think of subsidies and initiatives for young people. Especially for those with MBO qualifications, those opportunities must be available.