Tegenmacht in de lokale democratie: Een verkenning naar het bestuurlijke en maatschappelijke krachtenveld rondom de wethouder

In the Dutch public and scientific debate, the concept of ‘counter-democracy’ (tegenmacht) plays an increasingly important role. This article explores how this concept manifest itself in the practice of Dutch local government. We focus on aldermen and explore what forms of countervailing power they encounter, to what extent these powers are effective and what lessons this provide about how counter-democratic power works in Dutch local democracy. The research is conducted through group discussions, individual interviews with (former) aldermen, and literature research. Our respondents consider counter-democracy to be of great importance, but their appreciation for the different categories varies. When they appear less manageable, such as social (and traditional) media, action groups, and to a lesser extent local courts of audit, counter-democracy can make the work of aldermen more difficult. Especially counter-democratic powers that cooperate seem to be the most effective.