The Dutch parliamentary elections are just around the corner. In two weeks, the polls will open. But how much do the national elections matter, so far removed from the political heart of The Hague? Studio040 put this to the test and went to Geldrop-Mierlo.
“I’m going to vote because my wife and children tell me to”, a man in a mobility scooter says. Other passersby see it as a social duty to vote. “Otherwise, you have no right to speak”, a woman, in the centre of Mierlo, says. “If you want something to change or be addressed, you should vote for the party you think can make it happen”.
A young man in Geldrop wholeheartedly agrees: “Of course you can complain about the results, but if you don’t vote, your vote will definitely be wasted. Then it’s your own fault”.
Housing Market
The housing market, the environment, healthcare, and asylum policy are issues that are mentioned repeatedly when people are asked what they consider important.
At the same time, according to an older man, this says nothing about political preference. “I’ve voted for Socialistische Partij (socialist party, SP) for years, but I also agree with certain right-wing positions. You can constantly show your social conscience and choose to take in even more asylum seekers, but the Netherlands is becoming quite crowded”.
Collaboration
People in Geldrop and Mierlo do hope that politicians will cooperate more with each other, instead of verbally trying to tear each other down and only criticising each other. “If they would just listen to each other and show understanding for the opinions of others, we’d already come a long way. There’s enough misery in the world already, and perhaps we can set a good example here in the Netherlands”, he says hopefully.
Source: Studio040/Willem-Jan Schampers
Translated by: Bob
