Last week, I gave a glimpse into my life as mayor on social media. I received many nice reactions and questions. It showed how varied my work is: from meetings to encounters, from making plans to simply chatting on the street. No day is the same. But that is exactly why I find my work so special.
This week, many nice things are planned again. Today, together with the aldermen, I am at the Winkel Lint shopping center in Badhoevedorp to talk with residents about the booklet Prepare for an emergency. We have such conversations often, and I always find them very valuable. It is nice to see how you already think along, but also how such a conversation encourages further reflection.
Later this week, I will attend a national conference on unexpected emergencies. I will also speak there myself. But I am especially looking forward to the contribution of a speaker from Spain, who will talk about the multi-day power outage Spain recently experienced. That could happen to us as well. Therefore, it is important to learn from their experiences. That helps us to be better prepared.
But good preparation alone is not enough; practicing is also necessary. Therefore, next week, on January 27 and 28 during the day, an exercise with F-35 fighter jets will take place at Schiphol. This may cause inconvenience or unrest. I understand that. At the same time, such exercises are necessary so that military aircraft can also use civilian airports when necessary.
In short, by thinking ahead, practicing, and staying in conversation with each other, we stand stronger when something unexpected happens. Whether it is a conversation in the shopping center, an exercise, or a conference: ultimately, we do this together.