One week before the elections, one in four EUR students still has doubts about which party to vote for. Public administration student Onno Lorenz floats between GroenLinks and Volt. Master’s student of International Management Ron Koppers is torn between Volt and D66. And on the list of Eva Lucas, bachelor’s student Management of International Social Challenges, are Groenlinks, D66 and Volt. Her fellow student Jim Thurring has already decided. “I’m going to vote for Volt,” he says firmly. “The idea of a pan-European party like Volt really appeals to me.”
Getting information on the internet
Especially on the internet, students browse the programs of the parties. “I look at different websites, but certainly the websites of the parties. There you can find a detailed explanation of their vision and mission,” says Ron.
“I study Public Administration, so I’m genuinely interested in politics. I read various news sources, from websites to newspapers ,” says Onno. “Talking to parents and friends is also helpful, it allows you to compare the different opinions,” adds Jim. His fellow student Eva responds: “I also check the StemWijzer, to see which party suits me.”
More women in parliament
According to Jim, recognisability is important in choosing a candidate. “You usually go for the faces you see more often in the media. For example, if I often see candidate number one in talk shows, I will also vote for him or her.” Eva thinks otherwise. “I would like to think about women’s representation as well. So my strategy is to vote for the second or the third woman on the list. In this way, hopefully more women will enter the Dutch parliament.” Onno has the same plan. “I will definitely vote for a woman because there are too few women in politics at the moment.”
