Promotion critical interview with Amersfoort alderman hampered by Facebook

In the ongoing series of interviews with leading figures from the Amersfoort cultural sector I interviewed D66 councillor Fatma Koser Kaya. It turned into an animated conversation. Strangely, De Stadsbron, Amersfoort's local journalism site, is not allowed to promote the interview from Facebook, the editors informed yesterday. It is unclear why. Here is an excerpt, the whole story of course on The City Source:

'I don't believe in imposing from above. Then it will not be supported and then it also becomes more complicated to choose. Your final choice has to be supported. That is very important to me. I was hired by Amersfoort and I want Amersfoort to have a broad cultural sector that is supported and seen by society, and that suits a growing city.'

How much time have you agreed on? Four years, eight years?

(She laughs loudly) 'You can't say anything about that because democratically you can't. First, a Council is elected and then you come up. You are not going to make an advance on that. I really don't think that's acceptable, so your question to me is a very wrong one!'

You have to ask those every now and then. But so there is a dot on the horizon for four years from now?

Yes, that's what I was hired for.'

That it then says more than it says now?

'There's a lot already in place now, it just needs to be strengthened, broadened, and fleshed out for the future, so that whether I'm still here in four years or not, that train does get put on track, and that it starts to move, and you know where you want to end up.'

The mayor has given this city the most average...

(Slaps table) 'Oh, God...'

...city of the Netherlands. 

'You guys aren't innovative either, hey.'

I only just heard him on Wednesday...

'We are extraordinary in just being ordinary. We want to prevent you from coming up with something on your own as a board later on that is not supported by the population at all. Maybe that's in my DNA. I am in a very different way of doing politics. It is not: 'We ask, you turn', but 'How are we going to make possible what the city finds necessary' and content is always leading in that.

Read the full story on The City Source