Jan Paternotte

Biography

"Opportunities for all"

There are no higher goals than protecting freedom and creating opportunities for everyone to benefit from that freedom. Having spent more than a decade in local politics, I have first-hand experience in making that happen. You do not solve problems by incessantly creating new rules, but by grasping the nettle. You have to join forces with the community to come up with a solution together.

When I was still a municipal councillor in Amsterdam, I worked with several colleagues to draw up a new education agenda. In the process, we visited more than a hundred schools and spoke to countless teachers, parents and pupils. As a result, all schools in Amsterdam now have a PE teacher, many more janitors, and professional development grants for teachers.

Making a difference

I was the first member of my family to go into politics, perhaps because I knew how profound the impact of central government policy on people’s everyday lives could be. My brother went to a special needs school and my mother spent her entire career fighting to improve education for children with learning and behavioural difficulties. At the dining table, we rarely talked about homework alone.

At the tender age of 18, I was already an active member of Jonge Democraten, the youth wing of D66. During my time there, I realised that young people also had the power to put big issues on the political agenda, such as a realistic state pension age. Another good example was our countrywide campaign in favour of European cooperation in the wake of the PVV’s anti-Europe campaign back in 2005.

Opportunities for all

There are some things that should never be debated. Regardless of whether you are in favour of welcoming refugees with open arms or would prefer them to say ‘in their own region’, refugees who make it here should invariably be given the opportunity to take part in society. Language lessons from day one, in other words, so that they can get a job or start studying for a degree and stand on their own two feet as quickly as possible. Right now, 75% of recent refugees rely on benefits.

Climate change is another good example. You will be hard pressed to find a single reputable scientist who will deny global warming nowadays. The Netherlands has a responsibility to lead the way in the transition to clean energy. We have to be able to look our grandchildren in the eye... Now is the time to make big moves!