{"id":90239,"date":"2018-10-01T15:05:04","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T13:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=90239"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:06","slug":"what-a-20-year-old-erasmus-student-does-in-a-municipal-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/10\/01\/what-a-20-year-old-erasmus-student-does-in-a-municipal-council\/","title":{"rendered":"What a 20-year old Erasmus student does in a municipal council"},"content":{"rendered":"

No shots but summer memorandums and committee meetings rather than evenings spent carousing in the bar. Over the past six months, several EUR students have been members of the municipal council. What\u2019s it like for a student to be an elected official?<\/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\tAysha Gasanova<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cI have a few problems with Mr Janssen\u2019s liberal ideas.\u201d He may be the youngest member of the Schiedam municipal council, but that doesn\u2019t spare Tom Janssen (20) from criticism. Not from other party politicians, nor from mayor Cor Lamers. So during the committee meeting, when the EUR student and VVD council member appeals for a more liberal firework policy, the mayor doesn\u2019t think twice about going on the attack. But Janssen knows that he can\u2019t expect any leeway in the municipal chamber on account of his youth. \u201cNo, they don\u2019t regard me any differently from other council members. Which is how it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Very serious<\/h2>

Six months ago, there was a huge celebration in the VVD party chamber where the third-year economics and econometrics student receives visitors. The liberals in Schiedam won six seats and are the biggest party in the council for the first time in the town\u2019s history. For Janssen, this is a double celebration. As number 5 on the list, he survived the final selection with flying colours. The EUR student is the second-youngest council member ever in Schiedam and spokesperson for safety and quality of life, economics and employment, business parks and sport.<\/p>\n\n\t

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How are things going with the students who were in an electable spot for the city council? <\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t