You can encounter them in every municipal council or council: political birds of paradise. Striking Brabanders who are at the center of society; they are known and loved in their community. They are also on the list again during these municipal elections. One of them is Marieke Broekmeulen from Sint-Oedenrode. She was once on the street as a minor, but now the SP member sits on the municipal council of Meierijstad. She is also a teacher, metalhead and chairman of the Dutch fan club of the German football club Union Berlin. “When I’m there, I’m immediately very happy.”
Red. In short, that color is actually the common thread in Marieke’s life. It is the color of the SP, but also of her great love: Union Berlin football club. “I even bought a piece of the new stadium. I paid 500 euros and that makes me officially co-owner of the stadium.”
Evidence of this hangs in her living room. She proudly takes the frame off the wall. “So I’m quite a fan of it. It’s a bit of a strange story how that came about. As a little girl I was interested in East Germany. How there could be a dictatorship there so close to us.”
“I was curious about what sports and music were like there,” she adds. “Then I joined Union Berlin. They are a bit rebellious, they certainly were at that time. So I found that super interesting. At one point they played football at a higher level again, so they had matches closer to the border. After I saw a match of theirs in Aachen, I fell in love even more.”
Since that day, Marieke has been completely devoted to the Berlin club and regularly attends matches. “When I’m there, I’m immediately very happy. In the stadium I’m quite loud, I shout quite loudly, I sing quite loudly and above all I have a big smile on my face.”
She is also chairman of the official Dutch fan club of Union Berlin: ‘Die Eiserne Niederländer’. It is based on the nickname of the German club: Die Eisernen. This refers to the image of the football club as a close-knit and indestructible working-class club. “And we have an ironclad love for the club and for each other. If anyone ever needs help, we are there for each other.”
The atmosphere in the stadium is always good, even if the club loses. “I’m not one for judging. Not about people, not about things and not about football clubs. At Union Berlin there is a clear rule that your own club does not blow the whistle or leave before the final whistle. That very much fits my vision of life.”
A life that is, by the way, extremely busy. In addition to football, music is a great passion of Marieke and she teaches at a secondary school. As if that wasn’t enough, she is also in politics. “I never have a boring day. People sometimes wonder where I find the time and whether I sleep, but I always make sure I’m on top of everything.”
She has been a member of the SP since she was eighteen. “My parents could not properly care for me and my brother. He is eight years younger than me. When I was seventeen I ran away from home, so that they only had one child to care for. Then my brother would not be removed from home.”
As a result, she ended up on the street as a minor. “There was actually no one who cared about me. Only the SP in Tilburg told the municipality that this was not possible. From that moment on, I started to delve more into politics and discovered that the party does fit my vision of life.”
She is now 38 years old, she has had a seat in the Meierijstad municipal council for the past four years and she is also on the electoral list for the upcoming elections. With a strong urge to stand up for young people, she does not avoid discussions, but always with respect. “In a debate we focus strongly on the message, but not on each other. I think that is very important.”
Here you can read all the stories about the 2026 municipal elections in Brabant.
