The municipal councils that will be installed this week consist of smaller and smaller groups. In 2022, there are 142 more parties in municipal councils than in 2018. As a result, the fragmentation of local politics has increased again, according to an analysis of the election results by NRC.
With a few exceptions – including Barendrecht, Zeewolde and Hellendoorn where one party obtained the majority – there are hardly any municipalities with large parties with more than nine seats. In the municipality of Emmen, Wakker Emmen won fifteen seats.
One-man factions in Drenthe
Fractions are also getting smaller. Over the next four years there will be 593 one-man factions, the city council of Den Bosch even consists of seven one-man factions on 39 seats. The province of Drenthe also has the necessary one-man factions after the elections earlier this month: the CDA in Aa en Hunze, ChristenUnie and D66 in Borger-Odoorn, PPC in Coevorden, ChristenUnie and PvdA in De Wolden, 50PLUS, D66, GroenLinks and Forum voor Democracy in Emmen, GroenLinks and SGP in Hoogeveen, GroenLinks in Meppel, ChristenUnie, CDA and D66 in Noordenveld, ChristenUnie, CDA and Municipal Interests Tynaarlo in Tynaarlo and D66 in Westerveld.
Incidentally, a new splinter party arose in the municipality of Noordenveld just after the elections. Christine Stille was put on non-active status by Lijst Groen Noordenveld – which won four seats during the elections. She now only continues under the name Lokaal Noordenveld.
Complex work and high work pressure
For the past four years, local politicians have warned against work pressure for councilors, for whom the work is an ancillary position. Municipalities have been given more and larger tasks from the government. “The complexity of the policy is challenging even for larger political groups,” said Bahreddine Belhaj, president of the Councilors’ Association.
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