New Asva president Teun Otte: “Student increasingly used as ATM”
New Asva president Teun Otte sees plenty to fight against: the long-term study penalty, the interest on student loans and the sky-high rents. The Asva also continues to support an academic boycott against Israel, says Otte with a Palestinian scarf draped around his shoulders.
This year, the Amsterdam student union (Asva) will exist eighty years. Teun Otte (21) has the honour of being the chairman of the union this anniversary year. From 28 August, he will form a board with UvA students Zep van de Visse, Emma van Elburg and Fleur van Giersbergen and VU student Ide Hiemstra. Otte himself is studying at the HvA, where he is studying to become a History Teacher.
In the coming year, Otte plans to build with the Asva ‘a strong advocate for student interests’. But there appear to be plenty of challenges along the way. Folia spoke to him ahead of his board year.
The Amsterdam student union is struggling with an annual deficit of forty thousand euros. How do you plan to close this deficit?
“This deficit is a deliberate choice, because we have a lot of reserves. But some cuts will have to be made in certain places. We also want to look at new ways of income. Quite simply, more members is more membership fees. So that would be a quick fix.”
How many members does the Asva have at the moment? Are they declining, are they increasing?
“I don’t have any figures ready now of a decrease or increase, but in general there is still a lot to be gained among students. Especially among mbo students, whom we started representing since summer 2023. In itself, it is not surprising that you do not yet get a flood of membership applications from the mbo, when you have just started representing them, but we want to work on that. We want to gain a foothold, to grow the Asva into a large, broad-based organisation for all students.'
Besides membership fees, you are largely dependent on the UvA for income. At the same time, the Asva is actively involved in the UvA occupations, which, according to the Executive Board, led to at least one and a half million euro in damages. Does that help in maintaining a good relationship with the UvA?
“That is yet to be seen. We will have discussions about that with the Executive Board. But look, we are an independent organisation, which also has the right to have its own opinions.”
You are wearing a keffiyeh scarf during this interview. Are you yourself a strong advocate of the Palestinian cause within the Asva?
“I am the one who tabled a motion within our organisation to actively support the BDS policy (boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israeli companies and educational institutions, ed.). That motion was passed at the members’ meeting, and therefore something we as an organisation support. That is a choice, which we have a right to make. Also, a union has a duty, I personally think, to stand up against injustice.”
And occupations are a legitimate way of doing so?
“Look, we have not been the organisers of the occupations ourselves. By definition, we are against police brutality and in favour of an academic boycott, we have spoken out about that as a student union. Furthermore, we have a very rich history when it comes to supporting student protests.”
In short, we can conclude that the Asva will not moderate its tone when it comes to occupations and police violence, in order to continue receiving funding from the UvA.
“As Asva, we are explicitly against police violence and we endorse the demands of last year’s occupations, a position we will continue to express. We don’t think there is a need to worry about subsidies.”
What is your personal motivation to represent the Asva in the coming year?
“I think the Asva is an incredibly beautiful organisation. What we have noticed in recent years is that the student is increasingly being used as an ATM. By the government: from abolishing the basic grant and raising interest rates on student loans to the long-term study penalty. And by landlords, who drain students to the last cent. The shortage of student housing is also getting worse. There is plenty to gain for students there, and the Asva has a big role to play.”
Previous president Lily George is the successor of Izabella Voortman, who quit because of ‘irreconcilable differences of opinion’ within the board. How do you prevent something like that from happening again?
“What exactly happened with Izabella last year, I don’t know. But we now have a board where everyone can have their say. Everyone has an incredibly fine relationship with each other and is on the same page.”
But that’s just it: you are on the same page. Is it also allowed to clash occasionally on issues within the Asva? With disagreements that ultimately prove to be bridgeable.
“Yes, look, we are on the same page, but we are different people, so we can have conversations with each other. You will always have differences of opinion, it's about how you deal with them. And we have an open atmosphere where we can discuss that. So I am confident that we will have a great year together.”
