Olger van Dijk

Biography

"If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel" –U2, Mysterious Ways

The House of Representatives is the centre of Dutch democracy: these are the halls of power. Working as an MP is a great privilege, but I’m dedicated to being of service to the interests I represent, in this case those of the Dutch people.

The long term

We need to get back to talking about long-term issues that actually matter. That is my strength. I have had various jobs in the central government and have experienced the House of Representatives from up close. My last role was director of spatial development. I am a civil engineer by trade and I worked on the country’s space vision for 2050 and 2100, as well as running the 'Mooi Nederland' programme.

Chess player

Making the Netherlands a better place means contemplating long-term trends and examining what decisions we need to make today to get where we want to go. I am a chess player, so strategising and long-term thinking come naturally to me.

Working together

Patience is a virtue, you do not have to get everything done on day one. You have to work together and you have to be willing to compromise. I see it as my job to keep everyone moving forward together. More and more people are getting trapped in their own bubble and there is little connection between bubbles, which has become a real issue for Dutch society. I am an optimistic person at heart, but we need to be careful that we don’t start living in separate worlds.