From zero to four seats. Political party VOTE achieved this incredible success in Valkenswaard. Rens Pijnenburg was only 22 years old and immediately became an alderman on behalf of the party. VOTE consisted mostly of people in their twenties who wanted to do things differently in Valkenswaard politics. That caught on. “In one fell swoop you are the second largest party.”
At the table in his alderman’s room, Rens talks endlessly. Under his mug from the municipality of Valkenswaard is a sticker with ‘Rens’. “Everyone has their own mug here. You wash it yourself. Very sustainable.”
Four years ago, Rens’ life looked very different. He was a student and trained as a facilities manager in Eindhoven. One day he received a text from enthusiastic residents of Valkenswaard who wanted to discuss what was going on in their area. “People from Dommelen and Valkenswaard had already joined, but no one from Borkel and Schaft yet.” That village has about 1,100 inhabitants. Rens was born and raised there, so they wanted him there. He has never left the village since then.
“It was just a nice group to talk about what was going on.”
Another reason they wanted Rens there was his active involvement in the club life of Borkel and Schaft. He had administrative tasks at the carnival association, the fanfare and at his hamlet of the flower parade.
During his meetings the word ‘political’ was not even mentioned. “It was just a nice group to talk about what was going on. We noticed that all kinds of things were happening in Valkenswaard. It started with the question: can we talk about that? Both about the positive and the negative things.”
Ultimately, the group no longer wanted to remain on the sidelines and decided to participate in the municipal elections. “We have grown from nothing to a new party in just a few months.”
The results evening was unprecedented for VOTE. “We hoped for one seat and dreamed of two, but out of nowhere it became four.” A clear peak in votes for VOTE was visible in Borkel and Schaft. Rens himself was number four in the party as secretary. “I then started thinking about a position as alderman. The first three or four nights I barely slept to process everything that had happened.”
“We are a party with many young people.”
And what Rens thought happened: he was elected as alderman by the other members. However, on the day of his first committee meeting, the very young councilor had to cancel. “I was allowed to collect my diploma for my studies.”
Completely inexperienced in politics, he quickly took a number of courses, two of which certificates still hang on the wall of his office. “Of course you sense something that makes people think: what is that brat doing here? But I have always not cared much about that.”
The party soon received the label of a youth party. “We have never been that way. We are a party with many young people, but we certainly do not want to forget our older target group. A youth party is only committed to young people.”
Three quarters of the candidate list are still under forty. The secret of the party’s success? “We have a list that is a broad reflection of society. Everyone is involved in something, in whatever association.” Rens thinks that the residents of Valkenswaard were also ready for something different. “The same coalition had been there for years. You often saw that there was mud-slinging between the coalition and the opposition.”
Rens is now 26 and fully seasoned. “I haven’t had a day when I didn’t go to work whistling. I always say: ‘I came home smarter every day.’”
