Municipal politics in the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
Municipal politics in the Netherlands is an important aspect of the politics of the Netherlands
. The municipality
is the lowest level of government, but this does not reflect the importance that the Amsterdam
and Rotterdam
governments play in Dutch political life. There are a total of 418 municipalities in the Netherlands.
Additionally many larger municipalities have Gemeentelijke Rekenkamer (Municipal Chamber of Audit) which oversees the finances of the municipality. Moreover the two largest municipalities, Amsterdam
and Rotterdam
are further divided in boroughs called deelgemeenten.
express their preferences to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. The Minister generally follows the preferences of the city council. Almost all mayors are member of a national political party, but they are expected to exercise their office in a non partisan fashion.
The City Council are elected four yearly by the general population. In many municipalities all major political parties contest in the election in addition to local parties. In most major, urban, municipalities all major parties are represented in the city council, while in smaller, rural, municipalities only the largest parties and a local party have seats in the city council. All citizens and foreigners who live in the Netherlands for at least four years in a municipality have the right to vote and almost all citizens can be elected, ministers and state secretaries in the national government
are barred from standing in elections as well as mayors and civil servants employed by the municipality. The number of members of city council depends on the number of inhabitants. After the elections the parties in the states elect the aldermen.
The City Council is supported by its own civil service headed by the raadsgriffier. Members of the City Councils are not paid as full time politicians: instead most of them have day jobs. Like most legislatures, the members of City Councils work in both political groups and policy area related committees. The mayor chairs the meetings of the City Council.
and most decisions are taken by consensus. An alderman will lose his position if the city council adopts a motion of no-confidence against him. Aldermen are elected by the City Council. They cannot be member of the City Council, although often aldermen used to be members of the city council.
The aldermen can appointed in two ways. Either as program council ("programcollege") or a mirror council ("afspiegelingscollege"). A program council based on a political program negotiated by a group of parties which has a majority in the city council; a mirror council represents all (major) parties represents in the municipal legislature. Until 1970 all municipalities were mirror municipalities, since then and especially after the dualization of municipal politics most council of aldermen and mayor have become programmatic. Those executives often include two or more parties with ideological links. The local executive of Rotterdam
in the years 2002 until 2006 for example included the Christian-democratic CDA
, the liberal VVD
and the locally based Leefbaar Rotterdam
. The social-democratic PvdA, the second largest party of Rotterdam, was kept out of the executive because of ideological conflicts with Leefbaar Rotterdam. The same happened in city of Groningen, where a left wing executive was appointed on 26th of April, 2006. It consists of the PvdA, the socialist SP
and the green Groenlinks
.
Some city councils allow parties to have dual councillors
, politicians who are not elected into the city council but are allowed to speak in committees.
In 2002 the responsibilities of city council and council of alderman and mayor were clearly delineated and aldermen were barred from being member of the city council. The relationship between the B&W and City Council and is officially dualistic
, that is they have separated responsibilities.
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
. The municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
is the lowest level of government, but this does not reflect the importance that the Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
governments play in Dutch political life. There are a total of 418 municipalities in the Netherlands.
Municipal politics
In municipal politics there are three functions: the Mayor, the city council and the Aldermen. Together they share legislative power. The mayor chairs both the city council and the council of mayor and aldermen. The council of mayor and aldermen exercise the executive power of the provincial government. The relationship between the Alderman and the City Council is officially dualistic, that is they have separate responsibilities.Additionally many larger municipalities have Gemeentelijke Rekenkamer (Municipal Chamber of Audit) which oversees the finances of the municipality. Moreover the two largest municipalities, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
are further divided in boroughs called deelgemeenten.
Mayor
The mayor (burgemeester) chairs both the council of mayor and aldermen and the city council. He is a member of the council of mayor and aldermen and has his own portfolios, often including safety and public order. He also has a representative role, as the head of the municipal government. He is appointed by the national government for a renewable six year term. When a vacancy occurs the city council and Queen's CommissionerQueen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
express their preferences to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. The Minister generally follows the preferences of the city council. Almost all mayors are member of a national political party, but they are expected to exercise their office in a non partisan fashion.
City Council
The City Council (Gemeenteraad, GR) is the elected assembly of the municipality. Its main role is laying down the guidelines for the policy of the council of mayor and aldermen and exercising oversight over the implementation of policy by the council of mayor and aldermen.The City Council are elected four yearly by the general population. In many municipalities all major political parties contest in the election in addition to local parties. In most major, urban, municipalities all major parties are represented in the city council, while in smaller, rural, municipalities only the largest parties and a local party have seats in the city council. All citizens and foreigners who live in the Netherlands for at least four years in a municipality have the right to vote and almost all citizens can be elected, ministers and state secretaries in the national government
Cabinet of the Netherlands
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Dutch government. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Rutte cabinet.-Composition and role:...
are barred from standing in elections as well as mayors and civil servants employed by the municipality. The number of members of city council depends on the number of inhabitants. After the elections the parties in the states elect the aldermen.
The City Council is supported by its own civil service headed by the raadsgriffier. Members of the City Councils are not paid as full time politicians: instead most of them have day jobs. Like most legislatures, the members of City Councils work in both political groups and policy area related committees. The mayor chairs the meetings of the City Council.
Alderman
The Alderman (Wethouders) together with the mayor form the College van Burgemeester and Wethouders (Council of Mayor and Aldermen, B&W). This is the executive council of the municipalities, which implements policy. The members of the Council of Mayor and Aldermen all have their own portfolio on which they prepare, coordinate and plan policy and legislation for the City Council and implement legisation. The College van B&W have the duty to inform the City Council on all aspects of their policy. The College van B&W functions a collegial bodyCollegiality
Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues.Colleagues are those explicitly united in a common purpose and respecting each other's abilities to work toward that purpose...
and most decisions are taken by consensus. An alderman will lose his position if the city council adopts a motion of no-confidence against him. Aldermen are elected by the City Council. They cannot be member of the City Council, although often aldermen used to be members of the city council.
The aldermen can appointed in two ways. Either as program council ("programcollege") or a mirror council ("afspiegelingscollege"). A program council based on a political program negotiated by a group of parties which has a majority in the city council; a mirror council represents all (major) parties represents in the municipal legislature. Until 1970 all municipalities were mirror municipalities, since then and especially after the dualization of municipal politics most council of aldermen and mayor have become programmatic. Those executives often include two or more parties with ideological links. The local executive of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in the years 2002 until 2006 for example included the Christian-democratic CDA
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
, the liberal VVD
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
and the locally based Leefbaar Rotterdam
Leefbaar Rotterdam
Livable Rotterdam is a political party in the large Dutch city of Rotterdam. It won the council elections of March 2002 due to the charismatic leadership of Pim Fortuyn. This made it the city's largest political party, a position held for 30 years by PvdA...
. The social-democratic PvdA, the second largest party of Rotterdam, was kept out of the executive because of ideological conflicts with Leefbaar Rotterdam. The same happened in city of Groningen, where a left wing executive was appointed on 26th of April, 2006. It consists of the PvdA, the socialist SP
Socialist Party (Netherlands)
The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet...
and the green Groenlinks
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
.
Some city councils allow parties to have dual councillors
Duo-raadslid
A Duo-raadslid is a political position in the city councils of some Dutch municipalities. The Duo-Raadslid is a representative of a political party who is not elected into a city council, but still has the right to speak in meetings of committees of the city council...
, politicians who are not elected into the city council but are allowed to speak in committees.
Dualism
In 2002 the municipalities were drastically reformed. Before then all aldermen remained member of the city council. The city council had all the competences in a municipality and it delegated competences to the council of alderman and mayor. The council of alderman and mayor de facto functioned as the executive council of the municipality, but de jure they were little more than a powerful committee.In 2002 the responsibilities of city council and council of alderman and mayor were clearly delineated and aldermen were barred from being member of the city council. The relationship between the B&W and City Council and is officially dualistic
Dualism (politics)
In Dutch politics the term dualism is used to refer to the separation of powers between the Dutch cabinet and parliament. In this respect, the way the Dutch cabinets function is somewhere in between the USA and UK systems of government...
, that is they have separated responsibilities.
Municipal competences
Dutch municipalities do not have a delineated set of competences. In most competences the municipalities have an executive function, executing policy which is made at the national or provincial level. Legally municipalities have an "open household" which means that it can take on any competence it wishes as long as it does not violate national policy or break constitutional bounds. The municipality competences, often shared with national and municipal government include:- Land managementLand managementLand management is the process of managing the use and development of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic agriculture, reforestation, water resource management and eco-tourism projects.-See also:*Sustainable land management*Acreage...
, specifically local zoning laws - urban development
- transportTransportTransport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
and local infrastructureInfrastructureInfrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function... - social affairs, employmentEmploymentEmployment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
and welfare - economy and the environmentEnvironment (biophysical)The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
- educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...