Köping:Arzu Hajiyeva, a 25-year-old member of the Azerbaijani community in Sweden, has been elected to the Västmanland Regional Council. Representing the Social Democratic Party, Hajiyeva hails from the city of Köping and has previously served in municipal politics. This marks her first term at the regional level following her recent graduation from Örebro University with a degree in Language, Rhetoric, and Communicative Leadership.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Hajiyeva plans to focus on healthcare, with a particular emphasis on preserving the emergency department in Köping. She acknowledges the difficulty of this task but remains committed to keeping it on the agenda through both regional council discussions and the Facebook initiative ‘Rädda akuten i Köping!’ (‘Save the emergency department in Köping!’).
Mental health support is another priority for Hajiyeva, as she believes that Västmanland lacks adequate attention and resources for individuals with mental health conditions and their families. Additionally, she aims to improve working conditions and increase wages for healthcare workers, while also addressing other significant regional issues.
Hajiyeva emphasizes the importance of young politicians in shaping regional politics, asserting that the current generation must engage actively in public debate and policy-making to address issues neglected by older generations. She highlights concerns such as the centralization of healthcare and the socio-economic challenges facing her generation, including the climate crisis and integration policy failures.
Her Azerbaijani background has influenced her civic and political development, instilling values of collectivism and solidarity. Hajiyeva views these principles as crucial for her political journey and stresses the significance of representing diverse cultural backgrounds to foster unity and fair resource distribution in society.