English

Municipal Elections will be held on monday 14th, tuesday 15th and wednesday 16th of March 2022.

Citizens of other EU member states – students, ex-pats – who are registrated in the GBA (gemeentelijke basisadministratie) in the Netherlands have the right to vote and to stand for election in their city of residence subject to the same conditions as Dutch citizens.
Citizens from countries outside the European Union must have resided in the Netherlands for five years to vote or stand for election. (Source: www.kiesraad.nl)

If Maastricht is in your heart … Don’t throw away your vote!

You’ll find the election-programme for PvdA Maastricht, the Social Democrats, for the 2022 municipal elections below.

Hart voor de stad – Heart for our city

Election program  2022 – 2026

Having the city at heart the PvdA is committed to Maastricht and all its residents. We are proud of its rich history and its culture; we are proud of its neighborhoods, associations and volunteers. We enjoy the vibrant life in the city, from Vastelaovend to the ‘Toneelgroep Maastricht’. We are proud of its professional education, academies and its university. All of this makes Maastricht the city to be proud of.

Everyone should feel at home in Maastricht. This require affordable housing, a safe environment and adequate services in each neighborhood. But it also means that people when in need of the municipality, should be able to count on it. The PvdA wants a government you can trust and that the government trusts you. A city everyone feels at home in is a safe city, a city where you can simply be yourself.

The world does not begin at the city limits and it does not end there. Many people live in Maastricht and work in the (EU)region or vice versa. Collaborating in and with that region we can achieve results and make the region powerful: with better public transport, more economic opportunities, better flood control and more and even better education. So far all this has been discussed a lot, but we think that now is the time to act.

For many these Covid years have proven to be a difficult time. People get sick, the city is deserted and loneliness is tangible; healthcare workers are forever on their toes and many people are losing their jobs. Due to the virus solidarity is under increasing pressure. As a result of the crisis there is ever growing inequality. Now and after Covid there should be equal opportunities for all for a fair future. Our city is our common commitment. A fair future for all will make Maastricht a fine city for future generations to live in. Now more than ever is the time to do something about climate change. The high water in July last year has proven that it is not some overly remote issue. No action taken has already had direct consequences that were felt in many places along the Meuse.

Now it is high time we put our heart and soul to for our beautiful city.

1. Housing, neighborhoods and safety

The PvdA thinks it is unacceptable that in Maastricht housing is becoming unaffordable for a growing number of people. First time buyers can rarely buy a home, the elderly cannot move to adjusted housing and rents are sky high and rising. Landlords buy any suitable building in order to convert it into student rooms, which is  bad for the balance in a neighborhood but also bad for the students, who will often pay far too much for a room that is far too small. The PvdA wants to increase the quality of life in neighborhoods and restore the balance between different forms of housing. In some places the focus should be on campus locations for students.

For the PvdA Maastricht a good and affordable home is a basic right for everyone. We want a city where every resident will live comfortably and safely. We want a city where there are enough affordable homes for sale and for rent. We want to invest in sustainable homes but we cannot do on our own. For this we will form joint action with the PvdA delegation in the House of Representatives.

The PvdA is committed to:

• Affordable housing for everyone – now and in the future.

The PvdA Maastricht will initiate agreements with housing associations to guarantee this. We opt for investments in sustainable construction and in the renovation and insulation of rental properties. We will also focus on more suitable and affordable housing for senior citizens and on better opportunities for social housing for young people.

• Solid agreements in advance on types of housing for new developments.

New housing plans must inclue sufficient houses for affordable rents or owner-occupied homes. There is no longer need for city villas, but more suitable homes for any resident. We cannot just let any property developers have its way.

• A ban on investors buying houses.

The buyers must live in the house themselves. A house is a home and not a revenue model.  Mandatory self-occupancy will turn investments in housing less lucrative and more homes will become available to private and first-time buyers.

• The growth of AirBnB in Maastricht should come to an end.

A fewer number of temporary rentals will keep the city center and the neighborhoods livable. Homes are meant to be lived in.

• An action plan for student housing and balance in neighborhoods.

We want an action plan that aims for campus locations in order to end the serious shortages of student housing. In addition we will keep up the distance criterion and the maximum number of student rooms per neighborhood. This will make life more agreeable in many neighborhoods and will offer students good and affordable housing.

• More housing above shops in the city center.

We want to invest in the city center as a place to live in. Many possibilities for living above shops remain unused.

• Restricting events.

Maastricht is a hospitable place but the city is not an amusement park. In the city center as well as in the surrounding neighborhoods residents experience nuisance. It is fine if there’s plenty to do, but we should choose events that will benefit our residents.

Living a nice life in one’s own neighborhood is everyone’s wish and thus everyday amenities must be readily available close by. Too often neighborhood councils and other initiatives and involved citizens get the feeling that the municipality does not listen to them. The PvdA Maastricht wants a change here. We want residents to participate in discussing their neighborhood and decision-making for neighborhoods future. We have to stop investors who have no business with our city and who leave large plots empty or just build large warehouses or parking spaces.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• City district coordinators and district aldermen will return.

The municipality must re-establish direct contact with its residents. People need to know who to turn to if problems arise. The municipality needs to start listening to the neighborhoods again. The opinion of residents is not just ’ticking a box’ in the process.

• A plan for the future of every neighborhood.

Together with local residents we want to make a plan for each neighborhood about what is needed to live there comfortably. One time spending of extra money is not enough. Ongoing  budgets for greening or maintenance need to be made available.

• Stimulating and supporting neighborhood initiatives.

‘Limmel aan de Maas’ is a good example of a neighborhood taking matters into its own hands. It should become easier to organize activities in the neighborhood. The municipality should stand next to the residents instead of across from them. We encourage initiatives to make neighborhoods greener: facade gardens, disconnecting downspouts, planting around trees, and the like. We work with organizations as the Center for Nature and Environmental Education (CNME).

• Good information and support for citizens’ initiatives.

The municipality should create an inviting page on the website for activities and initiatives in all kinds of areas. We want to involve tenant associations, home owner associations, neighborhood organizations and other groups in collecting this information and making it accessible.

• Tackling residential nuisance in collaboration with housing associations, mental health care, the police and welfare work.

You cannot solve residential nuisance by just monitoring. You have to offer citizens real solutions by collaborating, for example with a hotline that is available 24 hours a day.

2. Economy, work and poverty reduction

Security of livelihood is a basic need. The best way to achieve this is steady employment. Anyone who can work should be able to work. Promoting various economic activities and attracting new companies are means to this end, not an end in itself. As a city with a knowledge-based economy focus must be on what we are good at. We will continue to invest in the Maastricht Health Campus. This will create jobs and new opportunities. Research clearly shows that every high educated knowledge worker brings along six supporting jobs with different levels of education.

Being an employer the Municipality of Maastricht is obliged to set a good example. That means providing permanent contracts, less independent contractors and quality of work.

If you are (temporarily) unable to work, you are entitled support to get started again. People who need help are too often addressed with mistrust. We know that some encouragement in good faith will have better results.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• We continue to invest in the Maastricht Health Campus, together with the university, companies and the province.

In this we help to realize more diverse job opportunities for residents. The Health Campus, not just partner to the university and the hospital but also allied to start-ups and conferences, is an important driving force for good work.

• We look beyond our borders.

We no longer see borders as barriers but as opportunities to get the best out of our (Eu)region. Maastricht is Europe and that forms the basis for further growth and cooperation.

• Make vacant buildings made available for small entrepreneurs.

For start-ups,  creators and entrepreneurs it is often hard to find affordable housing for their businesses. We want to ensure that vacant municipal and private buildings will be available for them to have sufficient time to develop.

• In the region collaboration is needed to attract new companies.

We must work along with other municipalities in the south of Limburg and with the provincial government in order to bring new companies into the region. Focus should be on companies that guarantee good work and a fair salary for all employees.

• Payment arrangements and tailor-made solutions for entrepreneurs in times of Covid

Many small businesses are hard hit by the pandemic and some will suffer for a long time to come. We believe it is important that the municipality continues to offer payment arrangements for municipal taxes. This will give entrepreneurs peace of mind and will allow them to continue employing their staff.

• The Municipality of Maastricht should be a good employer.

People who work for the municipality in a common and long term position should have a permanent contract with the municipality. This should explicitly apply to cleaners, security guards and people employed by means of employment agencies.

• A minimum wage of €14 per hour.

We want the municipality to guarantee a wage of at least 14 euros per hour for its workers. In this way we will contribute to fewer people living in poverty. We will put quality jobs, good working conditions and sustainability in the forefront of tenders and contracts.

You have to be able to count on the municipality, especially when the going gets tough. Unfortunately reality often proves the opposite. The PvdA Maastricht believes people should come first. That means to solve problems, make work pay and offer new opportunities. And when a suitable place on the labor market cannot be found, we will provide a safe workplace with good support.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• People with an occupational disability are entitled to help and guidance.

When necessary we will help people who are entitled to a referral to sheltered work. The municipality should cooperate in this and not oppose it.

• A one stop shop for people with questions about work, career and education.

The information provided by the municipality is often too complicated. It must be clearer and better understandable. The municipality is there for its citizens and should not be a burden. We should not be sending people ‘from pillar to post’.

• Requesting benefits should not be a tidal wave of forms to fill in and things to do.

We are against any form of obligatory work in order to receive benefits. People on welfare should, just like in Amsterdam, be allowed to keep €1200 euros per year in donations and gifts.

• We help people to solve their debts.

Good debt counseling and poverty policy ensure that people when in debt can participate in society again. The municipality contributes to this by instituting a ‘debt break’.

• Working must pay, including people on benefits.

People are allowed to earn €200 extra every month before benefits are decreased. If you are unable to continue working, you can always go back to your previous situation.

• Maastricht must make better use of training opportunities available in the Euregio.

We will enhance affordable training opportunities for job seekers by better cooperation in the Euregion. Adult education for our citizens can be improved when cooperating with our neighboring regions.

3. Associations, art and culture

Associations as well as art and culture bring the city to life. They give people an opportunity to express themselves and gather together. Maastricht cannot exist without culture. Over the centuries Maastricht has had a lot to offer on a cultural level and we can be proud of that. There is still a lot of life in the different associations throughout the city, from the Greune in Wolder to the Gele Rijders in Wittevrouwenveld or the Toneelgroep Lummel. In the city it is the breeding ground for professional art and culture, they cannot live without each other. Maastricht has quite some institutions for top quality art and culture, including Toneelgroep Maastricht, Sally Dans and Opera Zuid. In the region we would like to see more cooperation because culture does not stop at the city boundaries.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• A basic range of music, drama and art classes for everyone.

Art education is important for anyone’s personal development, in particular for children and young people. These lessons should be available for all children. The PvdA Maastricht wants to put a stop to cultural policy being demolished. We are designing a plan for the future of Kumulus and will make sure that teachers will earn a decent salary.

• We invest in culture in the neighborhood.

Maastricht has a lot of cultural associations, including wind bands, brass bands and neighborhood theatres. The quality of life in Maastricht neighborhoods would not be this high without them and that is why we invest in art and culture in the neighborhoods.

• Better opening hours for Center Céramique

We have a splendid library in our city, but the opening hours of Center Céramique leave a lot to be desired. It is time to adjust these to the needs of the users.

• A second life for the Bonbonnière.

One of the monumental gems of the city is literally crumbling apart. It is time for a second life for the Bonbonnière. Together with the city we are investigating possibilities for the Bonbonnière to once again become a place of use to the city.

• Sufficient funding for local news outlets.

The city deserves a radio and TV station that has enough money to make good programs on news and stories from the city. Good news reports on the municipal council and the board of aldermen will support local democracy and strengthen the bond with citizens.

• More cooperation between South Limburg theatres.

Instead of fierce competition there should be a joint theatre program for the large public theatres in Maastricht, Parkstad and Sittard-Geleen.

• A culture pass for the EUregion.

More cultural connections with cities in the Euregion like Liège, Hasselt, Genk and Aachen must be established. This could be done by offering the option of visiting performances in these cities at a discount when using an Euregion ticket or pass.

• Cultural freezones must be proper free zones.

Too many rules form a lethal mixture for cultural free zones. Let’s focus on stimulating initiatives and on rewarding well-thought-out plans.

• The Muziekgieterij and the Bankastudios as opportunities for Maastricht pop culture.

Pop music deserves a firm stage in Maastricht. The Bankastudios and the Muziekgieterij not only offer a place for amateur and professional bands to perform, rehearse and record  but also for cultural education and participation.

4. Sustainability and mobility

A clean, sustainable city is for everyone to enjoy and maintain. The PvdA Maastricht therefor opts for social solutions. We see sustainability as an opportunity and we make room for local ideas. The energy transition will affect everyone. Residents should not just experience the possible disadvantages but also the advantages it will bring.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• More attention for sustainable energy, the reuse of raw materials and the transition to a circular economy.

With each new building plan and each new zoning plan the municipality is obliged to work on sustainability. Every building plan is assessed on sustainable energy and fair-trade raw materials.

• Energy coaches in every neighborhood

In order to make people aware of what they can do themselves  at home, we will train residents to become energy coaches.

• Stimulating residents and entrepreneurs to come up with local energy co-operatives and innovative energy ideas.

The municipality actively supports this so that energy cooperatives do not get stuck in rules and paperwork, but can actually start. Entrepreneurs and residents are encouraged to investigate the possibilities of locally generating clean energy.

• Fair and transparent energy transition

Residents of neighborhoods with plans for energy transition will be involved and actively informed in a timely and accessible manner – for example by organizing consultation evenings. The heaviest burden should rest on the strongest shoulders.

Opting for a sustainable future for our city also means better train connections with the Euregion, good and speedy bus connections to the city center and eliminating thoroughfare freight traffic. This will keep the city accessible and provide better air quality.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• Good and fast public transport connections in the Euregio

Maastricht will only be more accessible by good public transport connections with the Belgian and German cities around us.

• The proposed connection with Hasselt by tram has no future.

Overt speculation in Belgium on an express bus is more and more reducing administrative support for the tram. The PvdA proposes to get the plans for the tram connection off the table and focus on connections that are feasible and realistic and will stay affordable. The PvdA considers an express bus an excellent alternative.

• More and better Park & ​​Ride locations on the outskirts of the city.

To keep Maastricht accessible now and in the future a substantial investment is needed in good parking locations in the outskirts of the city. In addition the PvdA wants a considerable  expansion of the current Park & ​​Ride North, to form a real alternative to parking in the city center.

• The Groene Loper is to be a 30 km/h zone.

De Groene Loper is not a racetrack and a 30 km/h speed limit is to be the norm.

• Take the bike.

Climate, air quality and vitality all benefit from cycling. The PvdA wants a more attractive role for cycling in the city, particularly by making it easier and safer through improving facilities for cyclists and the quality of road or cycle path surface. Together with residents and organizations such as the Fietsersbond  the PvdA is committed to implement a concrete plan for cycling infrastructure. In the multi-year budget substantial money should be allocated for this plan.

• An environmental zone that works.

In some neighborhoods and streets in Maastricht air is of poor quality. It is about time we will give these areas proper clean air by denying polluting cars access to parts of our city. In this way we work together for a better living environment.

• No thoroughfare freight traffic in Maastricht-west.

A better living environment means that residents deserve proper clean air by introducing a freight traffic ban for Maastricht-West. All thoroughfare freight traffic should use the A2 tunnel. After all, streets in residential areas are not intended for freight traffic to roar through – just because navigation systems indicate it to be slightly faster route.

5. Social policy and health

There is a widening gap between rich and poor in our society. The PvdA believes that the government should help people who are less fortunate: solidarity is the cork on which society floats. Care must be available, accessible and affordable according to the principle of “the strongest shoulders bear the heaviest burden”. Healthcare in Maastricht has come under serious pressure due to the cutbacks in the past term of the council. The council of aldermen did not take good care of the municipal treasury and citizens are now paying the bill. In the social domain budget cuts have been made without any proper plan – with all its consequences. For PvdA it is time to intervene and provide a clear and explicit plan.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• No budget cutbacks in the social domain without a clear plan.

We owe it to our residents to thoroughly investigate how budgetary problems continue to arise. The municipality must regain control over its expenditure. Whatever happens, people who need help should always be able to get the proper help right away.

• One family, one plan, one coordinator.

We aim for one coordinating care provider for every family that needs further guidance. Anyone who provides care for a family must know what other care providers are doing. Research shows that people feel this to be more agreeable but in the end it will prove much cheaper and will lead to better results much faster.

• Residents are actively assisted in applying for support.

People who need help often can’t see the forest for the trees. We want people to be actively guided by the municipality from a single counter per district in applying for (financial) support, for example by using ’the Facilities Guide’.

• Accessible and expert care and assistance for specific target groups.

The municipality focuses on quality when contracting care and assistance for young people. Youth care workers, youth mental health services and youth workers must have knowledge about the latest care methods and the desires of target groups. PvdA Maastricht also demands professional and safe shelter for all homeless young people.

• Exercising in a healthy city.

Being healthy is more than not being sick. In order to stay healthy it is essential to exercise. There must be sufficient locations and facilities for associations and schools to play sports in the neighborhoods.

• Loneliness must be actively battled.

People will live in their own home as long as possible but we see loneliness is being rampant. Loneliness must be fought, e.g. with sufficient meeting places in the neighborhood. When contracting and allocating any number of hours of domestic help, the social aspect of this help must also be taken into account. A regular help comes every week and hears and sees where assistance is most needed.

• An income test for domestic help.

When applying for WMO someone’s own financial contribution is determined according to the principle of “the strongest shoulders should carry the heaviest burden”. This ensures that everyone gets the care they need. The PvdA considers people who earn a little more should contribute to the services themselves.

 6.    Youth and education

We want our youth to grow up in a city where they feel at home but of which they are also proud. A city that welcomes everybody and where our youth can develop themselves to the fullest. A city where every child has the same opportunities, regardless of their background.

Nationwide there are insufficient funds available for youth welfare. Here a change is needed. Meanwhile, we want to maximize the quality available to meet the needs of young people as much as we can. Which means that youth welfare will be easy accessible to our citizens.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• Additional money for youth services in Maastricht and the region of Zuid-Limburg.

Together with neighboring municipalities Maastricht needs to lobby for more funds from the central government.

• Youth services need to be more accessible and reliable. We need less care providers and to tackle fraudulent care “cowboys”.

Fragmentation of youth welfare services is confusing and a complicating factor for reliable quality control. The city of Maastricht needs to focus more on banning fraudulent health care companies.

• Early aid in order to prevent more expensive care.

When help is required, it needs to be available within a short period of time without waiting lists. Neighborhood teams and youth workers must be well equipped for their task. Their role is an important one since it is easier for them to have a conversation with young people and s quickly see where help is needed.

• Quality education for everyone.

The neighborhood where you grow up or your background should never be the reason you have fewer opportunities for a good education. A promising future must be close at hand. That is why public secondary schools must remain on either side of the Meuse. Accessible to youths from the north, the east, the south and the west.

• Young people should be able to exercise, play and creatively express themselves.

Sports, games and art ensure children and young people to be physically and mentally healthier and to  behave more socially. This prevents them needing care and help. The PvdA Maastricht is committed to sufficient, safe and easily accessible places for further self-development through sports, games and art.

• More focus on basic skills.

Maastricht supports the library and (volunteer) organizations that help residents with basic skills such as reading, writing, math and digital skills. High quality assistance that is easily accessible and available to everyone.

• Every child goes to school after having breakfast.

We join national alliances working to ensure that no child will go to school without breakfast.

• Focus on tackling child poverty.

Too many children in Maastricht live in poverty. We cannot and must not accept that. Tackling child poverty has to be a priority of anti-poverty policy.

• Specific educational programs to ensure that all children can be themselves

We want children and young people to continue to receive information at school from e.g. Anti-Discrimination Facility Limburg and COC Limburg.

• Everyone will have access to childcare.

Pre-school childcare stimulates language development enormously. To ensure that as few children as possible are left out because they do not have a good command of the Dutch-language, we want to offer pre-school childcare to children from families who are not eligible for national benefits or arrangements.

• Looking beyond the border from a young age

Have every school find a partner school in the Euregion. The city of Maastricht can support these exchanges (financially).

 7. Governance and Finance

The past four years have shown that good governance should be the number one priority for the municipality. Several affairs have made it clear that the municipality is in a miserable financial and administrative position. At city hall administrators are too busy with themselves and the organization. Residents no longer come first. The PvdA considers this an appalling situation and longs the city to be there for its inhabitants. The next four years should be a period focused on a good cleanout in city hall.

For one thing municipal finances must be put in order. Choices should be made since funding is not inexhaustible. As we said before: the strongest shoulders should carry the heaviest burden. The bill to be paid for budget cuts and increasing municipal taxes is too often paid by people who are already having a hard time.

The PvdA is committed to the following points:

• Transparent and responsible governance.

Administrators make mistakes as well. They should dare to admit this and be willing and able to take responsibility. Only in case of open and honest accountability there can be a proper discussion about solutions.

• Significant cuts in millions spend on high-priced consultants.

Work being done for the municipality should as much as possible be done by people employed by the municipality. Because in this way knowledge and skills remain indoors and continuity can be guaranteed.

• An city council agreement in broad outlines about the city we want to be.

We want to involve residents earlier, more often and in a better way  in decisions about how we want to shape our city. This is only possible when the city council makes no  comprehensive decisions in advance for the next 4 years. That would make city council once again the center of our local democracy where the future of the city is debated with its citizens.

• The strongest shoulders should carry the heaviest burden.

Due to the precarious financial situation in which the present city government has landed the city, choices have to be made. If the PvdA Maastricht has to choose between budget cuts in  the the social domain or letting the strongest shoulders carry the heaviest burden, we choose the latter.

• The municipality must think along with its residents and be helpful, clear and decisive.

The PvdA Maastricht wants a subservient municipality. A municipality that is easy and accessible for everyone. Not just for people with visual, mental or physical disabilities but also for people without proper command of the Dutch language or sufficient digital skills. Using clear language and provide available information are important points of attention to ensure that all residents find their way around the municipality.

Our heart beats for Maastricht and its inhabitants. And with those inhabitants the Partij van de Arbeid will continue to work hard for the precious, wonderful and warm city where we all feel so much at home in. That is what our beautiful Maastricht deserves.

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