Mohamed Choyoua is an intern in the House of Representatives: ‘I want to become a Member of Parliament. Maybe even Prime Minister’

Law student Mohamed Choyoua (22), who grew up in Tilburg’s Jerusalem neighborhood, is doing an internship in the House of Representatives. His political ambition? To give everyone a chance. ‘I believe the Netherlands needs leaders who connect.‘

Mohamed Choyoua seems to fit more hours into his days than the average person. He studies law at Tilburg University and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Amsterdam, has been a citizen council member for GroenLinks Tilburg since April 2024, and has been interning with the GroenLinks-PvdA faction in the House of Representatives since September. Four days a week, right in the middle of election season.

He laughs: ‘Yes, it’s busy. I sacrifice a lot of free time. I have to plan an evening with friends weeks in advance, but collaborating with colleagues and fellow students gives me a lot in return. It’s a busyness that brings satisfaction.’

From Jerusalem to The Hague

Choyoua grew up in Tilburg’s Jeruzalem neighborhood, in the southeast of the city, a neighborhood that was both warm and raw. ‘Everyone knew each other. You’d go outside, and within five minutes you’d had three conversations. People would ask how you were doing, help each other. That sense of community was special,’ he says.

But behind that warm, neighborhood feeling, there was also tension. ‘There were fights, drug dealers, and robberies. You could say big-city problems. Many people weren’t well off.” Choyoua now lives in Tilburg Noord: “I see similar problems there.’

In recent years, Jeruzalem has changed: ‘Some of the old residents still live there, but on the other side of the neighborhood, a lot of new construction has been built. Expensive houses, new faces. That creates a completely different dynamic.’

Yet, he speaks fondly of Jerusalem. ‘My best friend came from a PVV family, but that didn’t matter. We had different opinions, but we respected each other. That’s what makes this neighborhood so special: the ability to stay connected, even when you don’t always agree with each other.’

Political ambitions

It was Jerusalem that pushed him toward politics. ‘When you see up close how people live, struggling to make ends meet every month, you want to do something about it,’ he says. ‘For me, it started with social security: ensuring that people on the lowest incomes can also get ahead. That has since grown into a broader mission: working towards a society in which everyone has a fair chance.’

That mission stems from pride. ‘My grandparents came to the Netherlands from Morocco in the 1960s. That their grandchildren can study here and participate makes me incredibly proud. For me, that is the ideal image of the Netherlands. Of course, there’s still much room for improvement, especially in the area of ​​equal opportunities. But it’s in the Dutch DNA to want to improve things. I truly believe that.’

Internship in The Hague

His political passion leaped when he began his internship with the GroenLinks-PvdA parliamentary group in the House of Representatives in September. ‘You arrive as a political enthusiast and immediately find yourself in the thick of it,’ he says. ‘It’s a real ‘get-your-face-in’ internship.’

Choyoua works in the Justice and Security and Digital Affairs portfolios. Within the Justice department, he focuses on themes such as femicide, discrimination, antisemitism, and (subversive) crime.

He also immerses himself in digital issues: ‘That might seem boring, but it’s about our dependence on American tech companies. It touches on our autonomy, on the question of how we, as a country, maintain control over our data and systems.’

‘Barbara Kathmann, with whom I collaborate frequently, is truly passionate about this. Her goal is to make the Netherlands less dependent on those large corporations, and that inspires me enormously.’

To be in the inner circle

Life as an intern in The Hague means long days and short nights. ‘You often start early reading documents, write summaries or drafts, and then meetings follow. The best part is that you contribute to the content. Sometimes I read documents to prepare a Member of Parliament for a debate. Then we brainstorm together: what’s important here, what needs to be emphasized?’

He smiles: ‘And you meet some extraordinary people. During party meetings, I’m sitting at the table with Frans Timmermans, Jesse Klaver, and Lisa Westerveld. Recently, I drove with Kati Piri to an event in Nijmegen. We spent an hour and a half in the car together. We had a wonderful conversation from which I learned a tremendous amount.’

Big dreams

Joop den Uyl, former prime minister and Labour Party figurehead, is a political role model for Choyoua. ‘Admittedly, he’s controversial. Some people loved him, others couldn’t stand him,’ he says.

‘Den Uyl had a nuanced approach to issues like the arrival of guest workers. He recognized potential integration problems, even if he couldn’t always respond effectively. That honest and realistic attitude makes him a role model for me.’

The Prime Minister’s office

When asked if Choyoua himself aspires to one day serve in the prime minister’s office, he replies: ‘I would very much like to become a Member of Parliament. Or a minister, maybe even a prime minister. Not because I think I can do it yet, but because I believe the Netherlands needs leaders who connect.

‘In my neighborhood, I grew up surrounded by all kinds of opinions and political preferences: PVV, GroenLinks, VVD, DENK. That’s where I learned how to navigate differences without losing each other. And that’s what this country needs.’

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