News item | 21-11-2025 | 3:00 PM
At the proposal of Minister Rijkaart of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Council of Ministers has agreed to submit the reorganization bill for the municipalities of Hilversum and Wijdemeren to the House of Representatives. These municipalities want to merge ‘light’ by adding the territory of Wijdemeren to Hilversum. The municipality of Wijdemeren will therefore be dissolved.
The Council of Ministers previously agreed to submit the bill to the Council of State. In October, the Council of State advised positively on the bill, after which the cabinet decided to send it to the House of Representatives in unchanged form.
Since 2024, the municipalities of Hilversum and Wijdemeren have been exploring cooperation options. Residents, entrepreneurs and municipal authorities see advantages in a ‘light merger’ of the two municipalities. The reorganization creates a powerful municipality that provides adequate services for its residents and can tackle social challenges.
By submitting this bill to the House of Representatives, paragraph 2 of Chapter VII of the Arhi Act is activated, which enables the municipalities of Hilversum and Wijdemeren to postpone the municipal elections in March 2026 and, with the consent of the House of Representatives and the Senate, to organize redistricting elections in November 2026. The term of office of the current municipal council members will be extended until January 1, 2027: the date on which the intended reorganization will be completed.