Pim van Burk

Policy areas

• Environment: green spaces, waste, food, water, sustainability

• Mobility: mobility, public space, community facilities, sports

• Health and Youth: (youth) care, animal welfare, education

• Resources and Arts: events, inclusive organisation, public services, finance, digital affairs

• Social Affairs: diversity and inclusion, knowledge institutions

Pim stands for an Amsterdam that remains free, humane and open-minded. As an entrepreneur, volunteer and engaged Amsterdam resident, he knows the city up close: its opportunities, its tensions and the people behind the policy issues. He wants everyone in the city to have the opportunity to grow and thrive. That is only possible when people are free and feel free. Free to enjoy the city, live in a pleasant home, run a business, develop themselves or get their lives back on track. Of course, rules are sometimes necessary, but we should not immediately reach for a new ban every time something causes inconvenience. A free city requires less politics for show, more cooperation and a focus on what works. It also takes the courage to change course when the facts call for it.

What do you want to contribute to Amsterdam?

“I want to help build a city where people feel seen and taken seriously. Amsterdam is at its best when freedom and responsibility go hand in hand: when you can be yourself, live in a pleasant home, feel safe walking the streets and take part in your neighbourhood.

To achieve that, we need to develop policies together with the people they affect. Residents, entrepreneurs, volunteers, support services and the municipality need one another to keep the city liveable and socially connected. But that also starts with trust. The municipality should give Amsterdammers more freedom to make their own choices, rather than assuming restrictions are necessary from the outset. That is why I want to practise politics in a way that is humane, down-to-earth and practical.”

Why Volt?

“I feel at home with Volt because it is a pragmatic party without dogma. A party that does not start by asking whether something is left-wing or right-wing, but rather: what actually works? For me, Europe is part of the answer. Not out of naive idealism, but because it is realistic: the major challenges of our time do not stop at national borders. If we are serious about housing, safety, migration, climate, the economy and financial security, we need to work together at the level at which these challenges exist. That is why I see Volt as a party that occupies a credible position in the political centre.”

What do you do alongside your work for the parliamentary group?

“Alongside my work as a city councillor, I am an entrepreneur in Amsterdam. I rent out workspaces to independent sex workers and co-own a theatre restaurant. Previously, I worked as a project coordinator for temporary housing and LGBTQ+ affairs at De Regenboog Groep, and I gave talks about LGBTQ+ topics at secondary schools.

I bring that experience with me into the city council: to me, politics starts with meeting people and listening to them. If you want to find out more, you can follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn."

Contact

[email protected]

Photographer: Tom Feenstra