It is becoming increasingly difficult to find people who want to become aldermen. That is the view of the Aldermen’s Association. With another two-thirds of the municipalities that are busy forming, this is a major problem.
Never before have so many municipalities taken so long on the formation of the colleges. National party offices do not have hard figures, but local politicians warn: new aldermen are difficult to find.
According to Marcelle Hendrickx, chairman of the Aldermen’s Association and alderman in Tilburg, municipalities suffer from a bad image. “It is thought that politics is not fun at all and that being an alderman is an annoying job.” What also makes the profession unattractive is the coarsening of politics. “Threats and intimidation make people wary. I’ve experienced that myself, and I can imagine that’s holding you back.”
About 40 percent of aldermen suffer from verbal aggression or threats. Not only from angry citizens, but also increasingly from organized crime. Recently, the cabinet had to allocate millions extra for the security of local administrators.
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Aldermanship is one of the most beautiful professions in which you can really do something for the community
From research of civil servants and administrators magazine Domestic Governance it turned out that in 2021 no fewer than 199 aldermen have retired. And that is no exception. During the past term of the council, about two hundred aldermen left each year, often after a conflict with the municipal council. Municipal councils therefore have to constantly look for fresh blood, but the enthusiasm for the municipal council remains low.
Team building
The aldermen’s association is concerned and also sees a task for the mayors to make the work more attractive. Hendrickx: ,,Team building cannot be taken for granted in politics, but it should be done more. When you work in a good team, you not only feel safer, but you also work better.” You also need to work on imaging. “Aldermanship is one of the best professions in which you can really make a difference to the community.”
Hendrickx thinks that this way more women will also apply to fill the post of alderman. An analysis of this site showed that out of the 154 completed coalition talks, no fewer than 46 councils were held with exclusively male aldermen. “Sad news,” said the president. “We women should raise our hands too.” She thinks that a better working atmosphere for aldermen promotes this.
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