News

New Wassenaar City Council sworn in

(Publication date: April 2, 2026)

On the evening of Wednesday, April 1, Wassenaar’s new municipal council was officially sworn in during a public meeting at Raadhuis de Paauw. This marks the start of the new term of office following the municipal elections held on March 18, 2026.

Role and Composition of the City Council

The City Council is the municipality’s highest governing body and represents all residents of Wassenaar. The 21 council members make decisions on important issues such as housing, Health, safety, and the design of public spaces. The City Council sets the broad outlines of policy and oversees the Mayor and Aldermen.

Next: Exploration and Formation

The report by exploratory negotiator Jan Iedema will be discussed shortly, after which the coalition-building phase will begin. During this phase, the parties will reach agreements on a joint platform and the composition of the municipal executive. New aldermen are expected to be appointed before the summer break.

Photo, from left to right: Simon Tacx (VVD), City Clerk Jaap Kleinhesselink, Maria Bellekom-Vogels (Lokaal Wassenaar!), Karin Vierwind (VVD), Pasquale van Vliet-Van Dijk (Hart voor Wassenaar), Sonja Hibbert (Progressief Nederland), Lieke van Schouwenburg (D66), Wim Koetsier (CDA), Laurens van Doeveren (VVD), Sjoerd Spaanjaars (VVD), Ben Paulides (DLW), Mayor Leendert de Lange, Irma van der Marel (Hart voor Wassenaar), Jeroen Gankema (Lokaal Wassenaar!), Laurina Nieukerke (VVD), Henri Hendrickx (Heart for Wassenaar), Bob van Pareren (Forum for Democracy), Mildo Meijer (VVD), Paut Struik (D66), Matthijs Stekelenburg (VVD), Francoise van Leeuwen-Geelen (Heart for Wassenaar), Henri van Smirren (Progressive Netherlands), Elroy Visser (VVD).

Jan Iedema starts as a scout

(Publication date: March 24, 2026)

The VVD in Wassenaar has asked Alderman Iedema of Zoetermeer to serve as an exploratory negotiator for the formation of a new coalition. With this move, the party aims Map carefully Map the possibilities for stable cooperation during the upcoming term of office.

In the coming period, Iedema will engage in discussions with all parties on the Wassenaar City Council. The purpose of these discussions is to conduct an initial assessment of how each party views its own role and to gauge their willingness to participate in a stable municipal government with a positive agenda.

VVD party leader Laurens van Doeveren emphasizes the importance of a careful process: “The goal is to engage in dialogue with all parties. We will discuss their substantive priorities, how they wish to collaborate, and whether they see a role for themselves in a new municipal executive. The Wassenaar VVD has deliberately opted for a broad exploratory process, because forming a stable and sustainable partnership for the next four years is the top priority. Jan Iedema is a skilled facilitator and brings extensive administrative experience from his eight years as an alderman in Zoetermeer. Let’s get to work!”

Once the exploratory study is complete, its findings will be shared with the city council, after which the next steps in forming the executive committee will be determined.