Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Osvaldo Brito, Cape Verdean journalist from Plataforma Letra das Ilhas, Rotterdam, enthusiastically follows the adhesion of his countrymen to party lists in the race for municipal elections in the Netherlands. In his analysis, two readings help to explain this “good adhesion” to the Dutch municipalities next week.
“I think that this adhesion of Cape Verdean descendants can be seen, on the one hand, as a reaction to what is happening in society and, on the other, as a natural form of integration and participation in the Netherlands”, he begins by saying, clarifying that the “most” of candidates on the lists already had an affiliation with their political party.
Participation in Dutch politics
As he says, Cape Verdeans and their descendants in the Netherlands “do not have a tradition of actively participating in Dutch politics”. The first generation “followed more the development of Cape Verdean politics and, often, association groups were organized according to political affiliation”. The second generation, on the other hand, used this political knowledge and applied it to Dutch politics, which was closer to it.
José Carlos Gonçalves: a political career that attracted Cape Verdeans
“José Carlos Gonçalves was one of the first, if not the first, Cape Verdean to participate actively in politics, as a deputy for the parish of Delfshaven in Rotterdam, between 1998 and 2000”, he recalls. In that same parish, Gonçalves made a political career that attracted the attention of his countrymen.
“He was a councilor for four years and then assumed the position of President of the parish for two terms until 2014. After the reorganization and dismantling of the parishes, Gonçalves worked for four years as a municipal deputy in Rotterdam”. In March 2002, our interlocutor also recalls, municipal elections were held in Rotterdam, both for the municipality and for the parishes.
“On the lists of the Labor Party, and the Christian Party, at that time, there were seven names of Cape Verdeans. One of them, Carlos Gonçalves, who was running for the post of parish councilor. Two of the candidates were running for a position as municipal deputy and the rest were running for a place in their parish”. At the time, Gonçalves got his post and Agostinho Santos got a seat as municipal deputy for the Labor Party.
João Varela: first Cape Verdean in the Dutch Parliament
In May 2002, João Varela, second on the list of the Lijst Pim Fortuyn (LPF) party, was the first Cape Verdean to obtain a seat in the Dutch Parliament, where he remained for four years.
Between 2006 and 2022, Osvaldo Brito explains that Cape Verdeans appeared sporadically on the lists of various parties, “but not always in eligible positions”.
And now, in 2022, for the March councilors, he is pleased to have, “again”, a “significant” number of Cape Verdean candidates on the lists. “It is to be praised so much political participation”, he concludes.
It should be noted that our report tried to ascertain exactly how many Cape Verdeans, or descendants, already born in the Netherlands, are on the lists of the 20 parties in the municipal elections in Rotterdam, but without success.
Participation in local authorities may be higher
However, they are estimated to be more than those we spoke to, not only because of the size of the country, but also because we had access to lists in which some of the names point to names possibly from Cape Verdeans, as happens with the list of the Movement to Combat Poverty.
In this case, it is a party that does not have seats in the Dutch Parliament. It should also be noted that, according to Osvaldo Brito, there are many local parties in Rotterdam.
“Many municipalities have their local party, in addition to the 13 or so large parties that participate at the national level, in all municipalities”.
This source also lists that most Cape Verdean candidates or descendants appear in Rotterdam, Capelle aandenIJssel and Schiedam. Municipalities bordering Rotterdam.
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