Jeroen Dijsselbloem (56) will be the new mayor of Eindhoven. He succeeds John Jorritsma, who will step down in September. The mayoral candidature was presented this afternoon (Tuesday) after a special closed council meeting.
Emphatic appeal to women
In April, a special committee presented a profile that was expected of the new mayor. The role was often referred to as ‘she’ and ‘her’. This is enough proof that Eindhoven explicitly called on women to apply for the highest position at the city hall. But it ended up being a man (again). A warm personality, a connector, and a proud and experienced ambassador were the other requisites on the wish list.
The new mayor had to have short lines of communication with Brussels and The Hague as well as the districts in the city. In addition, he or she had to have charisma and self-confidence, but indeed also the courage to raise the bar even higher for the Brainport region.
No second term
Out of the eighteen candidates for the mayor vacancy: seven were women, and eleven were men. Fifteen of them have already been aldermen or mayors. The remaining three applicants work in the private sector or have a liberal profession. They are either active in politics or have an administrative profession. At the same time, one candidate withdrew his application.
Jorritsma, the current mayor, will step down on 13 September after exactly six years as mayor of the largest city in Brabant, three days before his 66th birthday. Soon after, his successor will be officially installed.
The new mayoral candidate
Jeroen Dijsselbloem (56) has been chairman of the Dutch Safety Board since 2019 and chairman of the National Growth Fund. From 2012, he was Minister of Finance and President of the Eurogroup (the consultative body of the finance ministers of the Euro countries). He held both positions for five years each. From 2000 he was a member of the House of Representatives of the PvdA and spokesman in areas such as taxation, migration and integration, education and youth care.
The procedure for appointing the new mayor is not yet complete. The municipal council presents this nomination to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, after which the appointment is approved by Royal Decree. The city council expects that Jeroen Dijsselbloem will take office as the new mayor of Eindhoven on 13 September 2022. It’s interesting to note that Dijsselbloem is also on the board of Wageningen University.
For Eindhoven News: Beena Arunraj
Source: Gemeente Eindhoven
