Seven new Brabant House of Representatives were installed on Wednesday afternoon. It was an exciting day for the newcomers during which they also had to take an oath or promise. “I practiced that a few times in front of the mirror,” Femke Zeedijk from NSC had to admit.
The PVV supplied the most new MPs from our province with three Brabanders. D66 is currently the most Brabant House of Representatives faction, a third of their MPs have a connection with Brabant.
Mpanzu Bamenga (D66) from Eindhoven
In 2008, the new Member of Parliament fled to the Netherlands, but in 2011 he and his mother were in danger of being deported. “That’s where the spark to fight against injustice was born,” he reflects. Bamenga studied law and successfully challenged his deportation. Bamenga later became a municipal councilor in Eindhoven, but he gained national fame for his fight against ethnic profiling.
In 2018, he was checked by the military police at Eindhoven Airport based on his skin color. He and others filed a lawsuit against the Dutch state and won. Bamenga brought a framed article of the ban on ethnic profiling for his office. “Now I can fight my fight against ethnic profiling and discrimination from politics.”
The Eindhoven resident has a considerable range of tasks, including discrimination and racism, integration, foreign trade and development cooperation.
Maikel Boon (PVV) from Bergen op Zoom
Politics is no stranger to Maikel Boon. Since 2015 he has been a member of the PVV in the Provincial Council. He will stop that. “The work in the province is a part-time job. The Chamber Member Society is full-time, but I will remain active for the province as a citizen member.” Boon did not yet want to say which portfolio he will receive. “We are enjoying the swearing-in today and it is also exciting to unexpectedly be here with so many PVV members.”
Boon may enter national politics, but his own West Brabant will simply go to The Hague. “I really want to continue to work for my region.” The fact that many Brabanders have joined is good for him. “And they don’t sit quietly in a corner. And where Brabanders are together, they always come together,” says the politician from Bergen op Zoom firmly, “even if they are from other parties.”
Femke Zeedijk (NSC) from Eindhoven
Party leader Pieter Omtzigt wanted people from the field on his electoral list and Femke Zeedijk is one of them. She worked as a mathematician for ASML, among others, and is now leaving the business world. “I like numbers and that is why I will focus on economic affairs and international trade.” She still has to get used to the political center of The Hague. “I am still amazed every day by this new but very interesting world.”
The Eindhoven native is the mother of three. “My children really said that they saw that I felt at home in politics. At the same time, they give me unvarnished feedback and that is nice. I really hope that everyone continues to do that.” That is why Zeedijk does not want to be in The Hague all the time. “I spend three days a week there and two days in Brabant to keep in touch with the people and companies here.”
Other new Brabanders:
- Rachel van Meetelen (PVV) from Bergen op Zoom
- Eric Esser (PVV) from Den Bosch
- Esmah Lahlah (GroenLinks/PvdA) from Tilburg
- Caspar Veldkamp (NSC) from London/Etten-Leur