Commenting on the overall mission, Head of delegation Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE) noted:
“The six Congress teams deployed across the country observed well-organised elections with smooth procedures and highly committed polling station commissioners. In the 80 polling stations visited from opening to closing and counting, the atmosphere was very positive overall, and we were impressed by the high level of trust in the elections expressed by our interlocutors both before and during election day. While the election administration is highly decentralised, consistent applications of procedures was noted.
We also welcomed the wide range of polling station locations, in establishments such as museums, social centres, landmarks and cafés. All municipalities visited showed extra commitment to provide an inclusive and accessible election day (including information in sign language, Braille, and other languages), reflected in the slightly higher turnout.
The campaign was lively with close to 1 000 entities competing, many of them local parties. We received reports about threats and intimidation, including online, against incumbents and candidates, particularly targeting women. Information manipulation and the use of AI during campaigns also raised concern. These phenomena, while not limited to local elections in the Netherlands, should be better addressed.
As recommended in 2022, we suggest addressing the persistent lack of regulations for party and campaign finance at local level. Local parties are excluded from public funding and not submitted to reporting requirements, while the amounts for public disclosure of donations, while lower, remain high. Addressing these points could ensure a more even playing field between competing parties. We also reiterate the need to review the procedure to appoint mayors to reinforce grassroots democracy.
Proxy voting, as set out in Dutch legislation, was commonly used, but minor confusion regarding the requirements persisted. In line with previous Congress recommendations, we believe its universal use could be reconsidered. Also, the layout of the polling booths, facing the commissions, could be improved to ensure the secrecy of the vote, particularly in municipalities with very large ballot papers and in smaller premises.
Eleven municipalities conducted a pilot with smaller ballot papers. Voters and staff appeared to handle new ballot papers with ease and designated commission members placed at the entrance of these polling stations extensively informed incoming voters. The new counting procedures also seemed to run smoothly and efficiently and very few invalid ballot papers were observed. Finally, the participation of women in polling station commissions was high and we recommend measures to ensure full gender equality in in local councils.”
A 12-member election observation delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, led by Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE), concluded its mission yesterday to observe the municipal elections in the Netherlands, held on Wednesday, 18 March 2026. This was the fourth time that the Congress had observed elections in the Netherlands.
Prior to election day, the delegation held meetings on 16 and 17 March 2026 with key stakeholders involved in the elections, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, the media, and civil society. The delegation also held discussions with political parties and candidates running in the 2026 elections.
Further to the Congress mission, a draft recommendation will be discussed at the Congress session in October 2026 in Strasbourg (France).
Contact: Congress Communication Unit, tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 38 90
Congress webpage on the observation of local and regional elections
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Observing local and regional elections is one of the statutory activities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. This activity complements the political monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which constitutes the cornerstone of local and regional democracy in Europe. It contributes to ensuring the integrity of elections and building voters’ confidence at grassroots’ level. Since 1990, the Congress has conducted about 120 election observation missions in some of the 46 Council of Europe member states and beyond.
