{"id":137429,"date":"2022-03-10T13:18:59","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T12:18:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=137429"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:10","slug":"hendrik-had-to-get-used-to-all-the-political-games-in-the-municipality-of-gemert-bakel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/03\/10\/hendrik-had-to-get-used-to-all-the-political-games-in-the-municipality-of-gemert-bakel\/","title":{"rendered":"Hendrik had to get used to all the political games in the municipality of Gemert-Bakel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unlike Delft and Utrecht, Rotterdam does not have a political party catering specifically to students, but quite a few EUR students are standing for municipal councils representing other political parties all over the Netherlands. EM<\/em> will speak to five such students in the run-up to the 16 March municipal elections. In this episode, councillor Hendrik van Hout, who is running again but would rather resume student life.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMigle Alonderyte<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

In 2018, when he was a 17-year-old secondary school pupil, Hendrik van Hout stood for election to the local council of the Brabant municipality of Gemert-Bakel on behalf of CDA (\u2018Christian Democratic Appeal\u2019). Since he was only ranked 16th on CDA\u2019s list of candidates, he knew he had little chance of being elected to a seat, but at the time, he was mostly interested in the experience, anyway. Now, four years later, things are quite different. He ended up serving on the municipal council in 2021, after all, and is currently busy campaigning. As a result, his part-time degree in law at EUR is temporarily on the back burner.<\/p>\n

Waste paper recycling<\/h2>

It might seem quite a leap from being ranked 16th on a party\u2019s local list to actually serving on the council, but when it comes to CDA in Gemert-Bakel, it\u2019s not much of a leap. In 2018, the party obtained 11 out of the municipality\u2019s 23 seats, and since several councillors have moved on to aldermen\u2019s portfolios or moved to different municipalities in the past three years, CDA\u2019s leaders ended up contacting Van Hout last summer. \u201cThey asked if I was willing to serve on the municipal council until the elections. I always felt that if I have an opinion on something and wish to change things, I must actively seek to do so. So I thought this was a wonderful opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018You get to be one of twenty-three people who are allowed to make decisions on your municipality. That is quite the honour\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Except there was a problem. Since he was doing two degrees at EUR and Leiden University, Van Hout no longer lived in Brabant, having moved to The Hague instead. \u201cSo I had to return home, which took some getting used to. But I\u2019d just completed one of my degree programmes, so timing was great.\u201d In most respects, Van Hout really enjoyed the time he spent on the council. \u201cYou get to be one of twenty-three people who are allowed to make decisions on your municipality. That is quite the honour. But I did have to get used to all the political games you sometimes have to deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n

By way of example, he refers to one of his key aims. \u201cI was in favour of introducing letterbox stickers saying \u2018No\/No\u2019 to direct mail as the default option, meaning people would have to actively indicate that they wish to receive advertisements and regional newspapers. This would save a huge amount of paper. However, my fellow councillors were not too keen on the idea, because many clubs in the village collect people\u2019s waste paper (for which they get paid \u2013 ed.). I understand why some people were against it, but I hoped we\u2019d get it done, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Great adventure<\/h2>

Even though he cherishes his memories of his political career so far, he is now ranked 14th on the party\u2019s list and very unlikely to be elected to the council. His low ranking is not because his fellow party members don\u2019t have any faith in him. \u201cI want to return to student life. I\u2019ll be able to serve on the council for the rest of my life, and I think that, once I\u2019ve gained a little more experience, I\u2019ll be able to play a more important part. But it was a great adventure. I\u2019m glad I did it. I don\u2019t regret it one bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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