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Mayor of Utrecht looks back on her first year as mayor
Yesterday marked exactly one year since Sharon Dijksma became the new mayor of Utrecht. In a special video made for this occasion, she highlighted some of the most important moments that took place during the first year of her term.
Mayor Dijksma stated on social media: “One year of being a mayor to be precise. And what a ride it was. It was fantastic, but also really difficult. Coronavirus has obviously had a large impact, also on me getting acquainted with the city. I could hardly shake hands with Utrechters, but I am nevertheless extremely grateful for the warm welcome.”
In late 2020, Sharon Dijksma was appointed the new mayor of Utrecht, replacing Jan van Zanen who currently serves as mayor of The Hague. Groningen-born politician was previously elected to the Dutch parliament on May 16, 1994, at the age of 23. That made her the youngest MP in the country’s history. In May 2018, she became alderman for traffic and transport in Amsterdam responsible for the issues of transport, traffic, water and air quality.
“Fantastic city. Really stunningly beautiful. I have to be honest, I live in the city centre and I enjoy the rhythm of the city every day. You just feel the city’s heartbeat. And that is such a big privilege,” mayor Dijksma said about Utrecht.
Much like 2020, this year was mostly dominated by the coronavirus pandemic which shut down numerous sectors resulting in a worldwide crisis of historic scope and magnitude. Dealing with a rapid number of new infections, numerous measures were recently reintroduced across all Dutch cities. This week, the Dutch government announced it would extend its nationwide evening lockdown in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus omicron variant.
“Dear people, it was of course a very difficult year. I have to be honest and say that I think that coronavirus won’t disappear from our daily lives for the time being. But I do hope that next year we will be able to look for bright spots, for a different perspective,” mayor Dijksma said.
In an optimistic tone, mayor Dijksma concluded she was looking forward to being able to discuss what can be done to restore normal lives under new circumstances and wished all Utrecht residents good health.
