4. Nathalie Vanvelthoven

"I’m unable to mind only my own business. And sitting still is not my strong suit. As a teenager in Lommel, Limburg, this manifested itself in evenings and weekends I spent non-stop volunteering at my local basketball club. Later in Brussels, I was able to express myself with the Young Socialists at the VUB. It was there that the political microbe really bit me."

After high school, I went out into the wide world and lived and studied in China for several years. A very interesting period, where I realised that growing up in Europe is an absolute luxury. Having experienced what it is like to live in a society where you are not allowed to say everything, where the internet and media are heavily censored, I cherish the freedom we have here in Belgium and Europe even more. With the rise of extremism, that freedom is in danger of coming under pressure again here too.  

Nathalie is a sinologist by education and ended up in Brussels via a master's degree in political science at the VUB. I have been living in Saint-Gilles for a few years. Before that, I lived at Place Anneessens in the centre of Brussels. I am an active board member of the Young Socialists and work in the European Parliament as a social affairs adviser for Vooruit. 

Brussels is the capital of Europe. It is a city where so many nationalities and cultures come together. That's what makes it so interesting here. We must therefore prevent people from being pushed out of the city: by investing in affordable housing, but also with targeted social policies, everyone should have the chance to build their future in Brussels. A perspective is the best antidote to the extreme right. The European Union must also do its bit for this: it too must encourage Belgium to invest more in affordable housing, fair wages, decent working conditions and a humane asylum policy.