4. Rebekka Wiele

My name is Rebekka Wiele, I am 33 years old, and I live in Leiden with my partner. I am originally from a small village near Hanover, in Germany. After secondary school, I decided it was time to discover the world. With a Work & Travel visa, I left for Australia and also visited Hong Kong during the same trip. This period greatly increased my love for international experiences.

After my return, I enrolled at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, where I studied International Business and Management Studies. During my studies, I participated in two exchange programmes: one in Los Angeles, United States, and one in Madrid, Spain. I completed my internship at Robert Bosch GmbH in Germany. After obtaining my bachelor's degree, I decided to return to Germany to pursue my master's degree. In 2019, I moved back to Amsterdam to start my career. I now work as a Public Affairs Advisor at the Dutch Professional Organisation of Accountants (NBA).

The European right to free movement of persons and goods made it possible for me to move almost every year during my studies without any obstacles for internships and study programmes, and offered me international opportunities. That freedom has strongly shaped my view of Europe and international cooperation. Since 2024, I have been an active member of Volt in Leiden. I contribute ideas to the election programme, focusing in particular on how internationals can better integrate in the Netherlands. My goal is to connect the world of internationals with that of locals so that both groups can better understand and strengthen each other.

What do I want to work towards?

I have been living in the Netherlands for six years now, and during that time Leiden has become my home: a city full of knowledge, culture and diversity. The number of internationals living and working here is growing every year. I think it is important that everyone feels like they are truly part of the community. That is why I am committed to better integration and more connection between internationals and Dutch people. With accessible language courses, cycling training and low-threshold orientation programmes, newcomers can understand the language, culture and society more quickly. In this way, we can make Leiden a city where people find and support each other and where we move forward together.