{"id":85166,"date":"2018-03-13T12:06:46","date_gmt":"2018-03-13T11:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=85166"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:57","slug":"if-its-up-to-d66s-elene-the-days-of-rotterdams-white-old-boys-network-are-numbered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/03\/13\/if-its-up-to-d66s-elene-the-days-of-rotterdams-white-old-boys-network-are-numbered\/","title":{"rendered":"If it\u2019s up to D66\u2019s Elene, the days of Rotterdam\u2019s white old boys\u2019 network are numbered"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the run-up to the municipal elections, EM is hitting the campaign trail with students who might be elected to the council. Public administration student Elene Walgenbach, 25, is candidate No 5 on D66\u2019s Rotterdam\u2019s list. \u201cIt\u2019s an absolute disgrace that we have been governed by nothing but white old men in these past four years.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWould you like to discuss some politics?\u201d Elene asks cheerfully through the intercom. She has just rung a bell at a student house near Eendrachtsplein. The connection is broken, and the door remains shut. It\u2019s not the first time this has happened during this evening\u2019s canvassing session, but Elene will not let it deter her. Letterboxes with stickers on them that state the residents welcome DM receive election flyers, while the odd person who does open the door is treated to a conversation. You see, the 25-year-old aspiring municipal councillor wants to talk to students about their<\/em> Rotterdam.<\/p>\n

Forget unprofessionally edited videos and pushy advertisements on your timeline. A student with political ambitions who shows up on your doorstep on a rainy Monday evening to discuss politics with you \u2013 now that<\/em> is real campaigning.<\/p>\n

Frankness and honesty <\/h2>

Other young politicians might find this awkward and nerve-racking, but it\u2019s a style that suits Elene: frankness, honesty and guts. For instance, as a 23-year-old, in her capacity as the chairperson of the Young Democrats (D66\u2019s youth wing), she challenged the party\u2019s leader, Alexander Pechtold, at the annual party conference to go against popular notions more often: \u201cDon\u2019t put your fingers in your ears and go la-la-la when others annoy you.\u201d D66\u2019s youth wing familiarised her with the ins and outs of politics. Being its chair, she became the voice for over six thousand youngsters. \u201cSuddenly, everyone wanted to know how I, a 23-year-old whippersnapper, felt about things. That was really bizarre.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u2018whippersnapper\u2019 grew up in the rural Hoeksche Waard region, in an artistic family where she was brought up on a menu of free-thinking and liberalism. When she moved to Rotterdam at age 18, she decided to join the local branch of the Young Democrats. \u201cI soon realised that the things I was saying weren\u2019t all that bad. I suddenly realised that MPs in the Lower House don\u2019t necessarily have abilities that I lack.\u201d She is silent for a moment, then rings a bell at the next student house. \u201cSo then I thought, well, I might as well go to go all out and do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

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White old boys\u2019 network<\/h2>

The Master\u2019s student in Public Administration decided to stand for Rotterdam municipal councillor. Following a successful internal election campaign (at D66, lists of candidates are drawn up by members), she was given the fifth spot on the list of D66 candidates. Elene will promote the rights of the nearly 190,000 Rotterdammers who are aged under 25. For this reason, she is touring the city at night to provide young people with a listening ear, because she feels young people aren\u2019t really being heard, let alone represented. \u201cIt\u2019s an absolute disgrace that we have been governed for four years by nothing but white old men. We\u2019re not going to let that happen, right, in a city like Rotterdam?\u201d She spreads her arms, seemingly pointing at the heads depicted on the photo banners that have been attached to street lights all over the city.<\/p>\n

Apart from the Mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, all the outgoing councillors are white males. D66, being a coalition partner, joined them in this, but Elene is adamant that such a council will not pass muster again if her own party is once again to co-govern Rotterdam. \u201cI definitely wouldn\u2019t accept another four years like that. I want as many female councillors as male councillors, and I want younger councillors.\u201d You see, Elene feels there is a great need for younger councillors, since the \u2018white old boys\u2019 network\u2019 tends to ignore matters close to young people\u2019s hearts. \u201cThey are always talking about the housing market and pensions, and not enough about the opening hours of pubs, houses for young professionals and sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n

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EM also went on campaign with Christel (CU-SGP) and Vincent (PVV) <\/h2>