Elections (gemeenteraadsverkiezingen)
Welcome to the English overview of the positions of CDA Oegstgeest.
Are you an international resident living in Oegstgeest and looking to understand local politics? On this page, you will find the key viewpoints and priorities of Christian Democratic Party (CDA) in Oegstgeest, clearly explained in English.
We focus on building a strong, inclusive and sustainable community — with attention to housing, safety, education, mobility and support for families and entrepreneurs. Whether you work at an international organization, are connected to Leiden’s knowledge institutions, or have recently moved to the Netherlands, we believe it is important that you can easily access information about local policies that affect your daily life.
Explore our positions below and discover how CDA Oegstgeest works towards a connected and future-proof Oegstgeest for everyone.
Our top priorities
1. We strive for a decent village.
Safety is a core task of the government for us: we take concerns seriously, act against nuisance and drug use, and exclude a coffee shop. We strengthen the community—from associations and “Lief-en-Leed” streets to the village festival—and continue to fight loneliness, with local welfare work and good support for the elderly. We cherish social cohesion. That’s why we focus on housing alternatives for seniors within Oegstgeest, so that movement in the housing market gets underway and social ties are preserved.
2. Oegstgeest retains a swimming pool and offers sufficient space for all sports.
A swimming pool is a place where health, safety, and community spirit come together. It contributes to swimming skills, exercise, and meeting others. There is more than enough need for a swimming pool. We put the arrival of a new swimming pool for everyone—including a full recreational function—at the top of the list of necessary investments. The same goes for an additional indoor sports center. Indoor sports clubs have suffered from a lack of space for too long.
3. Green and village character, with more places to meet.
De Lange Voort shopping center will become a more attractive, lively heart of our village. We continue to advocate for a petting zoo and will give green parks and structures a quality boost. A well-functioning community requires places to meet. Playgrounds are indispensable and currently insufficient; that’s why we prioritize investments here. We protect the remaining green spaces and parking areas from further building project and ensure that new buildings provide attractive public spaces.
4. Improvement of traffic safety.
Traffic safety affects everyone: children on their way to school, elderly people crossing the street, people who feel uncomfortable in dark places, and parents with young children on bicycles. There are several bottlenecks where traffic safety falls short, especially around new neighborhoods, shopping districts, sports clubs and school. As local Christian Democrats, we keep working on a public space where everyone can move freely and safely, at any time of day.
5. Financially solid, responsible, and future-proof governance.
After the enormous locally imposed property tax increases of recent years, we want to get a grip on our finances. We stop the growth of the budget and municipal organization to make room for investments in the swimming pool, playgrounds, safe roads, and good schools. Major decisions, such as those about public heating, are only made if they come with a solid business case. We stand for a government that keeps things simple always considers the human factor first. Residents and entrepreneurs are not files or target groups to us, but people who – almost always - want to do good.
A letter to you, our international resident
Dear Oegstgeestenaar, Sehr geehrte Oegstgeestenaar, Gentile Oegstgeestenaar, Estimado Oegstgeestnaar, Szanowni Państwo,
It is our mission to help ensure that living in Oegstgeest remains as pleasant as it is today. In an increasingly busy environment, this means: making clear choices. We allow houses to be built where it makes sense. Especially for starters and seniors. But we do not pave our green structures and parks and will not allow building activities at the expense of cultural heritage. We invest in good local facilities. In a full-fledged swimming pool. In an extra indoor sports facility. In modern school buildings. In traffic safety throughout the village.
As local Christian Democrats we also invest in a strong region and good relations with both Leiden and Katwijk. We realize that decisions affecting economic strength, accessibility and mobility within the region, Schiphol, and major energy issues are not made in our town hall.
But what I find most important: that we continue to look out for each other. Fortunately, most of the nearly 27,000 Oegstgeest residents are doing relatively well. Precisely for that reason, we must keep an eye out for those who are financially or otherwise in trouble. Continue to fight loneliness. We must ensure that support for elderly does not deteriorate. And pay special attention to the problems of our youth in what is often a complex time for them.
CDA Oegstgeest wants to continue working on community spirit to prevent problems. By continuing to support small street-level initiatives, neighborhood associations, local welfare work, the diaconate, and the village festival. But also by ensuring that the local government is service-oriented, truly involves residents, and truly allows room for entrepreneurship and social initiative. We do not want rules that discourage volunteers from organizing something.
We want a local government that doesn’t keep raising taxes. And that takes a stand: against normalizing open drug use and a coffee shop in Oegstgeest, against discrimination. And in advantage of safety on our streets and decent interaction with each other.
Below you will find the five key points from our election program. We translated them for you, since we find it very important that our non-Dutch-speaking fellow Oesgstgeestenaren have the opportunity to take part in the local democratic process. With a strong CDA, we can make a powerful statement on all these points in the city council. Our group of talented local candidates is eager to make fair, balanced and practical choices in the years to come.
Our program is aptly titled “Taking Action Together.” Please go out and vote. And join our movement. I kindly ask for your support on March 18.
Kind regards,
Tobias van der Hoeven
