Number of city councillors receiving threats doubled since last municipal election
A third of municipal councilors experienced threats, aggression, or verbal abuse during this past term. That’s over twice as many as before the previous municipal election in 2022 and over six times as many as in 2015. Despite this, three-quarters of municipal councilors are up for reelection, the same as four years ago, according to research by NOS and the regional broadcasters.
Female city councilors are more often the targets of threats, aggression, and verbal abuse than men. In the past term, threats and aggression often happened in connection with plans for asylum shelters. But things like closing a library, installing a speed bump, or a dispute about the local public pool also resulted in threats. City councilors said online threats, aggression on the street, and emails with death threats have become almost commonplace.
“I received death threats on my private email,” an experienced female council member in Zuid-Holland told the broadcasters. “Later, I was chased for a while by someone on a fatbike.”
Someone threw eggs at the kitchen window of a VVD council member in Gelderland. Another woman from Gelderland: “I was caught in a huge firework bomb that was set off during an asylum center protest.”
Municipal councilors are also struggling with conspiracy theorists. “Unfortunately, there are also regular comments on social media claiming we have a secret agenda, and there are all sorts of other conspiracy theories about our work. Anything goes these days - you need a thick skin,” said a municipal councilor from Noord-Brabant.
30 percent of threatened city councilors report that the intimidation is impacting their performance, up from 25 percent four years ago. “You start to self-censor, you don’t tell people at home,” said a young female councilor from Limburg.
A 34-year-old CDA member said. “You start to think about what you will and won’t say, or sometimes you think: ‘I’ll just skip this debate.’”
A Volt municipal councilor said: “In the initial period after the incident, you’re not comfortable behind the microphone; you interact differently with people outside and in the council.”
Despite all this, three-quarters of sitting council members would like to hold the position again and made themselves available for reelection. Most say they enjoy contributing to the local community. It’s satisfying work. 86 percent are pleased with what they achieved in the past term.
Beyond the threats and aggression, the work itself also takes a toll. The largest group of council members spends around 20 hours a week on council work. 42 percent do council work in addition to a full-time job. A lack of free time and workload are therefore the main reasons for not returning.
