4. Great ambition comes with great responsibility.

EVE chooses a city that takes control of its own future, democratically and with residents at the helm. Eindhoven is growing rapidly, and that growth creates opportunities, but only if we guide it together. For too long, the city’s development has been left to market forces, fragmented projects, and decision-making that feels too distant from residents.

EVE believes that a strong city requires a government that dares to invest, takes responsibility, and strengthens democratic oversight, so that decisions are made in the interest of society as a whole.

1. A Municipal Development Corporation as the Engine of the City

We will establish a municipal development corporation that invests in and develops housing, the electricity grid, and public facilities such as schools, healthcare, culture, and sustainability. This organization will actively steer the city’s ambitions, take on public risks where necessary, and ensure that projects move forward even when the market slows down. It will also provide financial support, such as loans for sustainability measures, first-time buyers, and renovation. In this way, it enables residents, entrepreneurs, and social organizations to make investments possible. With sufficient mandate and implementation capacity, this corporation will ensure that public investments contribute to affordability, livability, and a future-proof Eindhoven.

2. Structural Public Financing with Public Returns

The municipal development corporation will be financed through Brainport resources and existing funds and made structurally sustainable through land policy, project revenues, and reinvestment. In construction and area development projects where public risks are taken, the municipality will share in profits above agreed margins. These returns will flow back into affordable housing and public facilities. Residents and businesses will also be given the opportunity to invest in the city through bonds or shareholding.

3. Fewer Rules and Procedures, More Trust

Good plans are worthless without implementation. That is why we will invest specifically in execution capacity within the municipality. We will accelerate decision-making and simplify procedures, especially for those actively cooperating with the municipality and the development corporation. This approach is based not on distrust or financial conservatism, but on trust and social urgency. Less talk, more action.

4. Accessible and Affordable Public Services

Using these instruments, we will invest substantially in public services to ensure they remain accessible and affordable for everyone. There is currently a major shortage. In addition to economic funds such as the Beethoven Fund, a supplementary social fund is needed, financed by the national government and the business sector. From general practitioners and community police officers to bus drivers and street coaches, public services form the foundation of the city.

5. An Integrated Approach to Crucial Professions

We look beyond technology jobs alone and make work accessible to everyone. We invest in affordable housing, accessible training and employment pathways, and share responsibility with large companies, public partners, and social organizations for filling crucial professions.

6. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises as the Backbone of Eindhoven

SMEs are an essential part of Eindhoven’s economy. We will improve conditions by ensuring affordable business space, digital support, targeted promotion, and better alignment with opportunities emerging in and around the technology sector.

7. Fair Distribution of Costs and Benefits

Growth should not benefit only a few. The broadest shoulders must carry the heaviest burdens. Through local taxes and levies, we will protect lower-income residents and SMEs, while companies that benefit most from growth will contribute proportionally more.

8. A Strong and Well-Funded Democracy

We will invest structurally in better representation, stronger council support, and neighborhood-based participation, so that policy becomes stronger, more transparent, and closer to residents. At the same time, we call on the national government and the province to ensure stronger democratic representation and greater regional autonomy. Eindhoven is not an island.

9. Space for Initiative and Collaboration from the Ground Up

Many businesses want to contribute socially but often do not know how. Existing initiatives are too voluntary or fail to use the full potential available. We will connect financial resources and capacity from companies more directly to the strength of social organizations, so that initiatives lead more quickly to concrete and visible impact. For large companies, voluntary engagement will no longer be sufficient; we will make concrete agreements on how their social contributions are spent.

10. Actively Representing Social Interests

Even where the municipality does not formally hold decisive authority, we stand alongside residents. In major developments involving powerful actors such as the national government, the province, ProRail, housing corporations, or large companies, the municipality will actively represent the public interest, substantively and, where necessary, legally. No one stands alone.

11. International Resilience of the City

We will develop an international vision that embraces opportunities while recognizing risks in time. We will strengthen resilience by preparing residents, organizations, and businesses for crises with major social impact, from practical support to emergency provisions.