Former top police officer to lead seniors’ party in upcoming election
Former Rotterdam police commissioner Jan Struijs has been appointed leader of 50Plus, the Dutch senior citizens’ party, as it seeks to regain representation in the Tweede Kamer. Struijs, 64, said he entered politics in response to growing concerns among older citizens about income, pensions, and personal safety.
Struijs’s career includes serving as Rotterdam’s police commissioner, director of the Police Academy, and chairman of the Dutch Police Union (NPB).
“I was already thinking about entering politics,” Struijs told AD. “In the years I spent in The Hague in my previous roles, I noticed that it is mostly about older people, but their voice is no longer heard in politics.”
“Take the feeling of insecurity,” he told the newspaper. “Official statistics show that it has become safer. But those stats don’t include older people who no longer dare to walk their dogs at night because there are youths on scooters in the streets. That fear exists, though.”
50Plus has been absent from the Tweede Kamer since the last election, following a series of internal disputes. Former leader Liane den Haan split from the party while keeping her seat, and a previous campaign saw a candidate removed by police after causing a disturbance at a party conference.
“That is all in the past,” Struijs told the newspaper. “Otherwise, I would not have taken this on. The party now consists of people who work well together.”
He stressed that many voters are still seeking political representation for seniors. “Older people currently have insufficient voice in The Hague. When it comes to seniors, they are too often seen as ATMs. They have savings and a home, so there is something to take. But seniors worked hard for their home and their pension. Many worry about their income.”
On pensions, Struijs warned that promises must be fulfilled. “The promises of the new pension system must be kept. People have paid for it. It is theirs. If pensions end up being lower than expected, action must be taken.”
He also highlighted intergenerational tensions in housing. “Many older people would move from their family homes if there were enough senior residences. But there are too few, and those that exist are so expensive that people have to make significant sacrifices. It’s understandable that they stay put.”
