Onno Hoes (60) has done a lot of things after his mayorship of Maastricht. “I just want to have a little space, keep picking up new things and keep learning, for myself.”
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Since Onno Hoes is no longer mayor of Maastricht, he has not had a full-time permanent contract. “I want to do something for society. If it’s just business, then I’m not suitable for it.”
Everything
Hoes does everything, from the formation of a new provincial government, via the chairmanship of the NVM real estate association, to a supervisory directorship at MVV. He worked for the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers, was chairman of the Switch Team for Persons with Confused Behavior, was acting mayor in Haarlemmermeer for a year and a half and is vice-chairman of the VVD.
Healing Process
More than 6 years ago Hoes was forced to resign as mayor of Maastricht. A private affair went public and a majority of the council wanted Hoes to step down. ”That scratch has healed quite a bit, it’s not for nothing that I continued to live in Maastricht. That has been the healing process for myself, I have lived in the city for 11 years now. I walk around here with great enthusiasm and joy. I have many friends here.”
Interim manager
I just want to have a little space, keep picking up new things and keep learning, for myself. The agenda is very complicated, I am now 60, do I want to continue to do this? We’ll see, I live from day to day. I also don’t have a picture of my future yet, I like the jobs I do now. Sometimes a new job is added, for example, I recently became a supervisory director at MVV. It is nice to make the knowledge that I have built up available again. I can’t make any choices either, it will depend on my zodiac sign.”
Unsuitable
Despite the fact that Hoes combines a multitude of roles and responsibilities in various positions, there is a common denominator: ”I want to mean something to society. Every job is about people, being able to do something for people. Chairman of the NVM real estate association, for example. That seems to be primarily about getting brokers trade. But that’s not my job. Ultimately, it is a social problem that everyone in this country deserves to have an affordable and decent home in the place they would like to have. And then it gets interesting for me. If it’s just business, then I’m not suited for it.”
Exciting
Onno Hoes was on television a lot last year. For example, he was seen as the guide in the formation of a new provincial government, and he indicated the government’s corona policy for L1. In the latter case, he was therefore on the ‘other’ side of public administration: ”Very interesting, because then you are not at the wheel yourself, but you are going to explain how others do it. And that was very exciting. Such an administrative interplay with social impact, I find that exciting to watch.”
Just a drink
Hoes has built up an enormous track record in public administration. He has also been vice-chairman of the VVD board for some time. Doesn’t The Hague beckon? Hoes doesn’t see it happening any time soon: ”At the moment I really enjoy functioning above, next to and in between everything. And look, if you had to move to The Hague, because you have to, of course, and you are there in that dynamic, that hectic pace, which is on top of you all day long. That’s quite different from grabbing a drink on Onze Lieve Vrouweplein.”
The talk was broadcast on L1mburg Central
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