FreedomTeam Interview: Salima Belhaj In Focus
Meet Salima Belhaj, who has just finished her traineeship in the Friedrich Naumann Southeast Europe. Read more about her impressions for her time in the Freedom Team in Sofia.
1. Please share a few words about yourself?
My name is Salima Belhaj. I first experienced the work of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where I am the political leader of the Fraction of D66 since 2008. D66 is a member of the ALDE party. Furthermore, I am a progressive liberal with a Moroccan and Muslim background. I have participated in many public national debates about Islam and integration in the Netherlands since 2001. I have a Bachelor’s degree in International Human Resources Management, I am a former German Marshall Fellow and I am currently doing my Master’s degree in International Relations in Historical Perspective at the University of Utrecht.
2. How long and in what position have you worked in FNF?
I worked as a trainee at the Friedrich Naumann Southeast Europe office in Sofia for 3 months from June to September. I was specifically interested in the process of the local elections in Bulgaria in October 2015. Furthermore, I will continue to do practical research into the issues and challenges of (liberal) political parties related to local elections and in what way professionalization can contribute to democratization building. As a trainee, I mostly participated in the regular work process and assisted the office where needed.
3. What are the most valuable insights that you will take from your FNF career?
I did not know much about Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania and Moldova before joining FNF, especially the struggle that Bulgaria has experienced during the 25 years since it was a communist totalitarian state. I now have a better insight and have learned through working with the colleagues what it means when a nation is in transition and its citizens are struggling during the transition to also overcome a financial crisis. For Bulgaria, it is also crucial that political changes have not been implemented as fast as they should have been, especially after joining the EU in 2007.
4. What is your biggest achievement in FNF, which you are most proud of and/or most happy with?
Before I came to the FNF I expected that I would have to overcome two cultural differences; to understand the way Bulgarian culture works and to do this in a German Foundation while coming from the Netherlands. Of course, there are always cultural differences, but mainly as a liberal I like to focus on the human individual aspects instead of the cultural aspects. So I hope I have managed to work with my FNF colleagues as individuals and liberals in a positive way.
5. Why is the promotion of Freedom important to you?
Freedom is one of the basic needs of every human being. It is the oxygen of the mind. Freedom creates for me the difference between just living and being alive. Therefore, it is very rewarding for me to advocate for the importance of liberalism and personal freedom so that people can truly be themselves. The material aspects of life will in the end never really be of interest to me because they do not mean anything if you are not free. Furthermore, coming from a culturally mixed family with a Moroccan background, I had to fight hard to achieve freedom in every aspect of my daily life, from making my own decisions to pursuing happiness.
6. What does the “F” of FNF mean to you?
Freedom means everything to me. The ability and the right to make decisions freely - I could not live without them.
7. What is your Freedom message?
Don’t dream your life, but live your dreams.
You can meet the other members of the Freedom Team in East and Southeast Europe, featured in this interview series, here: