New Amsterdam City Council
The new Amsterdam bench of Alderpersons was inaugurated on 19 May 2010 during a city council meeting. The new bench comprises members of three political parties: the VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy), GroenLinks (Green Left) and the PvdA (Dutch Labour Party).
The city council have accepted a governance policy for 2010 to 2014 entitled ‘Kiezen voor de Stad’ (Choose the City). It will be the bench’s responsibility to implement this policy for the next four years.
Amsterdam bench of Mayor and Alderpersons inaugurated
The new bench for this term consists of seven alderpersons. The VVD has selected Eric Van der Burg and Eric Wiebes and the GroenLinks representatives are Andrée van Es and Maarten van Poelgeest. The PvdA has selected Carolien Gehrels, Freek Ossel and Lodewijk Asscher. Asscher is currently interim Mayor of Amsterdam.
New Alderpersons on the bench
Alderperson Van der Burg will be responsible for the portfolios of Sport, Healthcare and Well-Being, Airport, Personnel, Organisation and Integrity, Services and External Involvements and Animal Welfare. He is also second Deputy Mayor. In the previous term, Van der Burg led the VVD party in Amsterdam and was a member of the city council.
Alderperson Van Es will take over the portfolios of Work and Income, Participation, Diversity and Integration, Naturalisation and the Administrative System. He will also hold the post of third Deputy Mayor. From 1981 to 1990, Van Es was a member of the Second Chamber for the PSP (Pacifist Socialist Party), one of the three parties that amalgamated to form GroenLinks.
Alderperson Wiebes will be responsible for the portfolios of Traffic and Transport (including the North-South line) and ICT, which includes the Glass Fibre Network and Air Quality. Wiebes joined the VVD in 2005 and previously held positions at Economic Affairs.
Alderperson Gehrels held a position on the bench in the previous term and will continue her role with the following portfolios: Economic Affairs, Art and Culture, Local Media, Monuments, Operational Management & Purchasing, Businesses & Participations and Water.
Alderperson Van Poelgeest will be responsible for the portfolios of Climate and Energy, Regional Development, Building and Housing Inspection and Land Affairs. Van Poelgeest is leader of the GroenLinks party in Amsterdam and held a position on the bench in the previous term.
Alderperson Ossel will take over the portfolios of Poverty, Housing and Districts, Major City Policy, Nieuw West Development, Public and Green Spaces and Harbours. Ossel was inaugurated midway through the previous term as Hennah Buyne’s successor.
Lodewijk Asscher will be the Alderperson for Finance, Education and Youth, Project 2012. Alderperson Asscher was the interim Mayor after former mayor Job Cohen stepped down and before Mayor Eberhard van der Laan was sworn in on 7 July.
Shortly before the inauguration ceremony, interim Mayor Asscher awarded Eric Van der Burg the Order of Oranje-Nassau on behalf of Queen Beatrix.
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