Jasper Coosemans

My name is Jasper Coosemans (34 years old). I have been working as a project manager at an aviation manufacturer for some years now. Despite my technical background, I’ve been very interested in politics since I was a teenager. As a candidate for parliament, I want to bring a new, fresh wind into Belgian politics. To offer a social-liberal alternative with the aim of preparing our country as well as Europe for the great challenges of the future, to the benefit of everyone.

A fresh wind in Belgian and European politics

Today's challenges are clear: climate, mobility, energy, growing inequality... But to meet those challenges, we will have to find a new way of doing things. Volt stands for new politics. For me that means:

• More democracy, less partisanship: Today, everything in Belgium is decided by the government coalition. The opposition is just along for the ride. This is fundamentally undemocratic. For issues with a small impact on the budget, it should be normal to find any majority in parliament, regardless of who is in government. This applies to 'ethical issues' such as abortion and asbestos, but also to the discussion surrounding state reform. In these areas, parliament should be given full freedom, not the government.

• Look beyond the next elections: a forward-looking energy policy is essential to guarantee affordable energy for our families and industry in the long term. Not just for the coming years, but for the coming decades. The same approach is needed for our mobility, education, infrastructure, national debt and so much more.

• Tackle each problem at the right level: Belgium must play a leading role in strengthening European integration in a democratic manner, so that major challenges such as climate and defense receive a European response. At the same time, our municipalities and federal states must be given the powers and resources to handle more local issues. As long as it is clear who is responsible for what — something that is unfortunately not always the case in Belgium today.