More local parties running in March 18 municipal elections
Local political parties are gaining momentum as the March 18 municipal elections approach, with Medemblik’s Hart voor Medemblik illustrating the trend. Nearly 1,000 parties are competing this year, including 375 new groups that did not run in the previous election.
Hart voor Medemblik, formed only a few years ago, captured 20 percent of the vote in 2022. The party maintains a hands-on approach, sending volunteers door-to-door every three weeks to gather resident input on local issues. “After the last elections, we went out flyering again and people asked, ‘What are you doing here? We just voted,’” said party leader Tjeu Berlijn. “We had to explain that this is our method: going into the streets regularly to hear what works and what can be improved.”
Their grassroots work has led to concrete results, including the installation of a new crosswalk near a school, the renovation of a playground, and preserving a local snack cart. “The municipality sent a letter on a Friday telling the owners of ‘De Meiden’ to close their cart because it was too close to a school,” Berlijn said. “Thanks to our motion and hundreds of social media endorsements, they were allowed to stay. When you vote local, you get a local politician who understands what’s happening.”
The party’s growth is also reflected in its candidate list, which has expanded from three young men in 2022 to fifty individuals including nurses, farmers, and teachers, bringing practical experience into local governance.
Marcel Boogers, professor of Democracy and Transition at the University of Utrecht, said local parties are thriving partly due to dissatisfaction with national politics. “The national political scene has not looked very strong in recent years. That is a reason many voters turn to local parties,” Boogers said. He noted that local parties can better address practical issues, like keeping a pool open, that larger parties may not be seen to influence directly.
Boogers also warned that an overabundance of small factions could weaken municipal councils. “If there are too many factions, a council can be weakened. Yet the voter is always right, and if they want more choices, we have to find a way to manage that.”
Local parties like Hart voor Medemblik, Boogers said, make politics more diverse and accessible, particularly for younger or practically trained voters who may otherwise abstain.
