Who runs local government in Netherlands?
The Netherlands has 12 provinces and about 342 municipalities, each with an elected council. But mayors and provincial King's Commissioners are appointed by the Crown, not elected. A separate elected tier of water authorities manages dykes and water levels.
Kingdom of the Netherlands · Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy (decentralised unitary state) · Western Europe
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Provinces (12) | Provincial council (Provinciale Staten) elected every four years; King's Commissioner appointed by the Crown | Spatial planning, nature, regional transport, supervising municipalities. Provincial councillors also elect the Senate. |
| Water authorities (waterschappen, 21) | General board elected every four years, with some seats reserved for farmers, landowners and businesses | Flood defences, water levels and water treatment; they levy their own charges. |
| Municipalities (gemeenten, about 342) | Municipal council elected every four years (last March 2026); aldermen (wethouders) chosen by the council; mayor appointed by the Crown for six years on the council's recommendation | Social care and youth services, employment support, housing, planning, local roads, public order. |
| Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba) | Elected island councils; island governor (gezaghebber) appointed by the Crown | 'Public bodies' that combine municipal tasks with some others. |
Three questions about local power in Netherlands
Are local leaders elected?
Councils, provincial councils and water boards are elected. Mayors and King's Commissioners are appointed by the Crown after a selection process led by the council.
Which laws set up local government?
The Constitution (Chapter 7) sets out provinces, municipalities and water authorities; the Municipalities Act sets details. District councils vary from statutory to informal.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Voters; councils can send aldermen away and ask for a mayor's dismissal by losing confidence; the province supervises municipalities; administrative courts.
Traditional and customary authority
No customary authority. Historically, religious 'pillars' (Catholic, Protestant, socialist, liberal) organised schools, unions and broadcasting, and faith-based schools are still publicly funded on an equal basis under the Constitution, but churches have no formal local power.
Community and neighbourhood power
Many municipalities have district or village councils (wijkraden, dorpsraden), usually advisory and partly funded by the municipality. Amsterdam has elected district committees (stadsdeelcommissies). The 'right to challenge' lets residents' groups propose to take over a municipal task.
Points to know
- The mayor chairs the council, is responsible for public order and directs the local police in that role, yet is not elected.
- A 2018 constitutional change removed the appointed mayor from the Constitution, opening the door to other methods by ordinary law, but appointment continues.
- Water authorities are among the oldest democratic institutions in the country, dating back to the Middle Ages.
- Municipal mergers have cut the number of municipalities from over 1,000 in 1950 to about 342.
Local terms
- Wethouder
- Alderman: a member of the municipal executive chosen by the council.
- Waterschap
- A water authority with its own elected board.
- Commissaris van de Koning
- King's Commissioner, the appointed head of a province.
Sources
- Constitution of the Netherlands (1815, rev. 2008), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Mayors, Government of the Netherlands, checked 14 October 2026
- Water management, Government of the Netherlands, checked 14 October 2026
- Caribbean Parts of the Kingdom, Government of the Netherlands, checked 14 October 2026
- Netherlands: country profile (territorial organisation, responsibilities, finance), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
- Netherlands: monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (2021 report), Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CARTA-MONITOR), checked 14 October 2026
See also: Netherlands's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.