New Amsterdam executive team sworn in after council backs PRO–D66 coalition deal

As the first major city, Amsterdam now has a new team of alderpersons. On Wednesday evening, the nine alderpersons were installed after a hearing in which they explained how they intend to carry out their duties and responded to questions from the council. A majority of Amsterdam’s city council has backed the coalition deal negotiated by PRO Amsterdam and D66.

The session was generally conducted in a cooperative and sometimes light-hearted atmosphere. Support came from the two governing parties, which collectively control 25 of the council’s 45 seats, while opposition councillors voted against the agreement.

Esmah Lahlah, who will be responsible for education and youth care, was the only incoming alderman to receive notably critical questions during the hearing. JA21 asked whether she planned to serve a full four-year term, pointing to her earlier resignation from the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament. She responded that she would remain in office as long as she retained the confidence of the council.

Following the hearing, the council voted to approve the proposed alderpersons, confirming their appointments before they were formally sworn into office.

In addition to Lahlah, PRO Amsterdam is providing five more aldermen: party leader Zita Pels (housing, asylum), Sofyan Mbarki (employment & income, municipal holdings, sport), formateur Hendrik Jan Biemond (finance and arts & culture), Araya Sumter (social justice, diversity), and Lian Heinhuis (sustainability).

For D66, the new aldermen are party leader Melanie van der Horst, who takes on economic affairs, Alexander Scholtes, responsible for spatial planning, healthcare, and senior citizens, and Elise Moeskops, who will handle mobility. Several of the incoming alderpersons, including Zita Pels, Sofyan Mbarki, Melanie van der Horst, and Alexander Scholtes, also served in the previous term, though some will now take on different portfolios.

Two incoming aldermen, Araya Sumter and Esmah Lahlah, have asked to be exempted from the rule requiring them to live in Amsterdam. Lahlah currently resides in Tilburg but intends to relocate to the city as soon as possible. Sumter lives in Haarlem and says she will not be able to move during the upcoming term because of family care responsibilities.

Following the inauguration of the new executive team, the council formally said goodbye to four departing aldermen who will not return in the next college: Rutger Groot Wassink, Hester van Buren, Touria Meliani, and Steven van Weyenberg.

Pels, who led the negotiations for PRO, called the coalition agreement “distinctly left-leaning” and praised partner D66 for the cooperative talks. She said the deal stands out for its emphasis on collaboration rather than political conflict.

Earlier in the day, the council debated the coalition agreement, with opposition parties voicing criticism. Several parties, including DENK, JA21, Partij voor de Dieren, and Volt, said several major decisions appeared to have been deferred, leaving important policy details unresolved.

Pels and Van der Horst rejected that criticism, arguing that the agreement does not need to spell out every measure and that existing initiatives, including the city's environmental agenda, will simply carry on.

Pels faced sharp criticism from opposition parties over proposed reductions in youth care funding alongside increased investment in cultural projects in Amsterdam’s outer neighbourhoods. JA21 called the approach “elitist,” but Pels defended the policy, saying culture helps connect communities and that better youth care depends more on quality than on higher spending. She added that this will be a key focus in future procurement decisions.

The VVD and JA21 pressed for assurances about the planned cut of 2,500 municipal jobs and tighter control over external staffing. Pels said the reductions will largely go ahead, though exceptions may be made if essential projects risk being stalled.

She also argued that civil servants should be given more “execution power” to ensure policies are carried out in practice. According to her, officials should start from what is happening “on the street” and build policy upward from there, an approach she described as unique in the Netherlands. The planned reduction of 2,500 full-time positions represents nearly 20 percent of the municipal workforce.

Pels was also questioned about measures to keep streets clean, with the coalition agreement setting aside €11 million in additional funding. VVD councillor Claire Wijnants argued that this amount falls short and pointed to so-called “deposit collectors” who retrieve refundable cans from public bins. Pels pushed back against that framing, saying many of those people are living in severe poverty and that the focus should be on the system rather than on individuals.

During her contribution, D66 leader Van der Horst was questioned about the coalition’s housing agenda for the next 15 years. PRO and D66 say they will focus on homes for older people, young families, and additional social housing, but opposition parties argue the proposals lack ambition. Juliet Broersen of Volt criticised the plans, saying D66’s promises “fade away as quickly as Rob Jetten’s ten new cities.”

Van der Horst was also challenged on the significant rise in tourist tax, with critics arguing it would do little to ease tourist-related nuisance. She disputed that assessment.

In the final stages of the debate, the opposition succeeded in adding several amendments to the coalition agreement. DENK ensured that investments in road safety will explicitly prioritise safe routes to schools. In addition, the agreement now includes measures to make permit applications easier for small entrepreneurs, het Parool reports.

A new green standard has been introduced to guarantee that the development of new residential areas includes adequate provision of green spaces.

Opposition parties also voiced concerns over measures to eliminate 10,000 parking spaces, raise parking charges, and progressively increase the tourist tax. The coalition’s housing development plans were also met with scepticism.