Presentator, Journalist
"Sometimes Europe seems like one big squabbling family—but do we really know each other?" That was the opening line in every episode of Fons bij de Buren, a travel series in which I set out to discover the soul of our EU neighbors.
The asylum crisis following Angela Merkel’s “Wir schaffen das,” Wilders’ “Polish hotline,” the so-called Ukraine referendum that triggered hysterical debates in our country—all gave me the sense that, for the first time since the Second World War, the very essence of European cooperation was being eroded.
I felt it was important to design a program that could cut through the jungle of prejudices, to foster greater understanding of our neighbors. It had to be an engaging show, aimed at the broadest possible audience. With a keen eye for the history of countries—often more tragic than our own.
In every country, I was accompanied by a driver, whose personal or family story also revealed something about the “soul” of the nation. I combined this with the broader historical context, current political events, striking anecdotes, and cultural detours.
It led to unforgettable encounters with a variety of neighbors. And to compelling episodes from, among others, Portugal, Poland, Germany, France, England, Ireland, Romania, and Hungary. Sometimes peoples who had been oppressed for centuries—of whom we wrongly expect that after just thirty years of democracy, they should be just like us.
I’ll never forget my young Polish driver Tadeus, who had once been economically forced to work in the Netherlands as a truck driver, only to be looked down on as a labor migrant, exploited with inhumane driving schedules, and nearly killed in a serious accident. A sweet man. Remarkable sense of duty. Hard worker. But: a “second-class European.”
I believe the European Project is a historical necessity. But it requires empathy and patience.