Provincial elections, in a week it’s time. The question, however, is: will people go to the polls? And then who? The group that ‘always’ neatly makes their way to the polls, the group that is angry about the chosen path, or national politics? Or is Hoogeveen going to show itself involved on March 15?
In any case, people from various quarters are urged to cast their vote. “These elections are really about something,” says public administration expert Avelien Haan-Kamminga. But it won’t be easy, she realizes.
“There are many urgent issues at provincial level. Just think of the nitrogen policy and housing.”
Haan-Kamminga is a public administrator at NHL Stenden and also provides training to members of parliament and municipal councils. Her expectation for the upcoming elections is that things could turn out very differently than usual: “I think that many seats will shift and that is always a circus. So the elections will be exciting, but the period after will be even more interesting.’
Voting behavior
Public administration expert Haan-Kamminga is curious to see how this will work out in practice. “I think we have two scenarios in the North: either fewer people show up because they think there is no point anymore. Or more people, who vote out of protest. New voices and parties mean new relationships. A different sound is always good from a democratic point of view, but new relationships can be quite exciting.”
What do you think?