Student on the ballot: Finn wants a safer nightlife and affordable student rooms

“Why are people still being harassed during a night out? I want to work towards a safe nightlife”, says Finn Kranendonk from the new political party Rotterdam NEXT. He is one of the students running for the municipal council elections.

What would you like to have achieved in the municipal council in four years’ time?

“First of all, better public transport at night. Right now I can’t get home at night, and I hear many students and school pupils complaining about this. This issue may not seem very big, but there really is a lot of demand for it. It’s also practical and achievable.

“In addition, I want to work for more affordable student and starter housing. I’d like to move into student rooms myself next academic year; I still live with my parents in Oud-Beijerland. Living on your own is part of becoming an adult – it helps you develop yourself. By the way, those new student homes do not have to be in the city centre, as long as there are good public transport connections to the university.”

Why did you want to be on the ballot of a political party already as a first-year student?

“I know it sounds like a cliché, but it is true: I want to contribute to the future of my city. Because even though I don’t live here yet, it still feels that way. For example, I love Zuidplein and I enjoy going there. During the previous municipal council elections I listened a lot to what people found important and why they went to vote. Their needs stayed with me. I’d like to go into politics. And I still have to pass my first year, but I’d rather do a little too much than too little. If I end up on the council, I’ll party a bit less.”

Why did you choose a new party rather than an established one?

“The founder and lead candidate attended my former secondary school. When I had read about the party’s positions – for example that young people should have a say in the council – I got in touch and said: I’d like to join in. Forty percent of Rotterdam residents are 29 or younger; this city is young and a youth party belongs with that. I also think I really add something to NEXT because I look at politics from a business administration perspective. I dare to look at things others may find more difficult: the price tags. I’m willing to say: something can be taken from that budget so it can go there.”

What is your future dream for Rotterdam?

“If I may be a bit hyper-optimistic: that everyone gets a fair chance in a city where everyone is treated equally. For example, everyone should have equal opportunities to find a place of their own to live.”