Hilversum and Wijdemeren Council Elections Postponed Until November

The residents of the municipalities of Hilversum and Wijdemeren will not vote in the municipal elections next month. Because the two municipalities are merging, residents will not be able to go to the polls until November 18, 2026.

The ‘postponement’ of the elections in Hilversum and Wijdemeren has everything to do with the fact that the Senate and House of Representatives still have to officially agree to the merger, explains NH News out. The House of Representatives and Senate are expected to take that decision in the spring of 2026. The decision itself is a formality, but as a result Hilversum and Wijdemeren are now unable to participate in the municipal elections.

Since January 1, 2023, the Netherlands has a total of 342 municipalities. That is a lot less than thirty years ago: at that time there were still 774 municipalities. Many municipalities merged, especially in the 1990s and 2000s. The main reason was usually that it is cheaper to do certain municipal tasks together.

In fact, that is also the reason for the merger of small Wijdemeren – with Loosdrecht, Kortenhoef and ‘s-Graveland as the most important centers – with its large neighbor Hilversum (almost 100,000 inhabitants).

Wijdemeren, with its 24,000 inhabitants, was itself a merged municipality on January 1, 2002 and has been struggling with financial problems for a long time since then. In 2023, Wijdemeren even became a year long under financial supervision set by the province of North Holland. For every expense, such as road maintenance or sewerage, the municipality had to request permission from the province. In addition, the municipality was faced with a staff shortage.

The municipality managed to present a balanced budget for 2024. But by then the municipal council had already taken the decision in principle to merge. “Independence is nice in itself, but that does us a disservice to our residents,” spoke PvdA/GroenLinks councilor Wilna Wind in October 2023. She pointed out the still precarious financial situation, but also said that the municipality’s services were still inadequate. In addition, residents paid high municipal taxes.

There were several merger candidates, but it soon became apparent that Hilversum was the most logical partner for a majority of the municipal council. Some residents had doubts and wondered why they could not speak out about the merger.

Nevertheless, the merger will become a fact on January 1, 2027, provided that the Senate and House of Representatives agree.

Some residents have doubts about the merger. Carnival associations the Schuimlikkers in Ankeveen and the Turftrappers in Kortenhoef fear that they will be able to organize a carnival parade for the last time this weekend. Now they get a permit for a reasonable price. They fear that ‘Hilversum’ may ask for much more money for this.

“Associations that have been transforming our villages into the festive heart of the carnival for years should not succumb to sky-high financial pressure from Hilversum,” said Stijn Visée, BBB party leader in Hilversum/Wijdemeren on November 18. NH News. “As a member of the Council of Eleven, I know how hard the volunteers work. It is unacceptable that this beautiful carnival party will soon become unaffordable due to Hilversum agency creation.”