CDA is the main partner of local parties in the city council. Local parties often work together with the fourth party of the municipal elections in 2010 than with VVD and PvdA.
According to a research of NU.nl with data from Overheid in Nederland.
In the 233 municipalities where local parties are seated in the college of mayor and aldermen, there are 693 available functions to work with. Of these, one third is completed by the CDA.
That’s more than can be expected, since the Christian Democrats ended in the 2010 elections as the third national party with 14.8 percent of the votes. That is 19.4 percent when local parties are excluded, which by far received the most votes.
Compared with colleges of mayor and alderman where local parties do not participate, the three major national parties CDA, VVD and PvdA jump out. However, CDA is the party where the difference is the largest between whether or not a local party is present. The CDA and local parties seek each other out more than average for a coalition.
Collaboration
According to professor of public administration Arno Korsten, the local parties are best be described as a middle party. “They are not extreme in their views,” says Korsten. “In this regard, CDA is a natural partner.”
“GroenLinks and PvdA are often too idealistic, VVD somewhat too right. Then you’ll end up with CDA or other local parties.”
Paving stone politics
The local parties are politically colorless, according Korsten, because they focus primarily on local issues. “National parties are more inclined to localize their national programs.”
“Local parties obviously have a lot of knowledge of what happens in a municipality. This is also called ‘paving stone politics’.” However Korsten finds this an entitlement which shortfalls the local parties.
These parties pick their candidates from within the community, the professor adds. “For example, the leader of such a party is also the chairman of a football club. In municipalities where many preference votes are cast, that is an advantage.”