“A party that does not take a clear position on the genocide in Gaza will not get my vote,” says Aaron Meys, a twenty-something from our youth panel. His voice is determined by one point of view. Is that wise? “A foreign conflict should not determine our vote.”
A new week, a new discussion in the group chat of the youth panel of De Standaard. Things are sometimes intense, but all first voters agree on the dire situation in Gaza. Do they let their vote depend solely on that? Mirte Keymolen (21) doesn’t think that is the best way to vote. “A party can say a lot, but in a coalition they can quickly lose ground on that subject.” That’s why it’s best to base your vote on multiple points of view, she says, “but that doesn’t change the fact that you let your vote be determined by something that you consider important.”
Quentin Vanslambrouck (21) is also not in favor of single issue voting at all. He finds that superficial. “A foreign conflict should not determine our vote.” According to him, we should not view society from a “tunnel vision”. “The war in Gaza is certainly a genocide, but that is not the most important thing for the Belgian people.”
All benefit from world peace
Parties that come to power must ensure our own prosperity, security and purchasing power, he believes. “What happens in our country must be a priority, otherwise our economy could collapse. I also believe that we should not provide direct support to Ukraine because they are not in NATO.”
Mats De Windt (19) believes that we should provide humanitarian aid. He calls Vanslambrouck’s line of thought “contradictory”, because foreign conflicts can lead to domestic conflicts. “They can have major economic, geopolitical and humanitarian consequences, leading to energy, food and refugee crises. Think of the oil crisis of the 1970s. That was also caused by a conflict in the Middle East.”
That is why he believes it is important that we take a position on the war in Gaza. “If we naively bury our heads in the sand, the consequences for our country will only be more serious. Moreover, we all benefit from world peace.”
Sensible?
“You have the most influence on solving injustices in your own country,” says political scientist Stefaan Walgrave, one of the architects behind the Voting Test. So if you want more justice, you better vote strategically. “You do this by voting for a party that you think can be part of the government and thus have an influence on policy.”
Simon Sterck follows him in this: “I base my vote on, among other things, how parties deal with injustices such as the climate crisis, the tightness on the housing market and the war in Gaza.”
According to Walgrave, most people base their votes on three or four points of view. Hardly anyone takes into account all the positions of a party. “It is normal to find some themes more important than others.” On the other hand, he does not think single issue voting is wise. “You then take the other points of view with your eyes closed.”
