Appointed mayors and their mutual relations with municipal councils in the Netherlands

Abstract

This article deals with the institute of mayor in the Netherlands and his relations with the local council. As the most important feature of this institution, it is indicated that the mayor is not elected by the population or by the local council, but is formally appointed from above, which corresponds to certain centralist traditions in the activities of the state apparatus of the Netherlands. The Dutch mayor enjoys a fairly wide range of powers, the most significant of which are powers in the field of public safety. The mayor’s responsibilities also include fire safety and management of various local emergencies, including those in the sphere of public health, which are of particular importance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The author notes the dual role of the mayor in the public authority mechanism of the Netherlands. On the one hand the mayor is built into the state power vertical, and on the other hand, he remains an integral part of the municipal government system. In such a situation, in search of the most optimal solutions, the head of the local administration has to balance between various interests, and this sometimes determines his certain vulnerability.