Stieneke van der Graaf nominated as mayor
Zaltbommel municipal council nominates ChristenUnie politician; appointment and installation still to follow.
Stieneke van der Graaf has been nominated as Zaltbommel’s new mayor. The municipal council took that decision on Thursday evening; her appointment is not yet definitive.
Van der Graaf is expected to succeed acting mayor Marnix Bakermans. He has held the position since August 2024, following Pieter van Maaren’s departure. Van der Graaf’s installation is provisionally scheduled for 3 December during a public council meeting.
The nomination is the outcome of a procedure that began in May with the adoption of a profile outline. According to the municipality, 35 people responded to the vacancy: 11 women and 24 men. A confidential appointments committee interviewed a selection of candidates and subsequently advised the municipal council.
Van der Graaf is 42 and has been acting mayor of Weststellingwerf since May 2025. Before that, she represented ChristenUnie as a member of the Lower House (Tweede Kamer), from 2017 to 2023. Earlier, she spent ten years on the Provincial Council of Groningen.
The municipal council describes her as experienced in public administration and speaks of a clear vision. According to the confidential appointments committee, she would also be able to build a good connection with society. These are qualifications from the nomination; the municipality has not published separate substantive policy plans from the candidate.
A nomination by a municipal council is not yet an appointment in the Netherlands. The Minister of the Interior first investigates whether there are any objections. The minister then nominates the candidate to the King, who formally appoints the mayor by Royal Decree.
Van der Graaf will therefore remain mayor of Weststellingwerf in the coming weeks. With the nomination, Zaltbommel municipal council has taken an important step, but the formal procedure still has to be completed. Until the installation, Bakermans will remain acting mayor of Zaltbommel.
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The key facts were directly confirmed by the municipality and by a regional news source. The formal appointment is correctly described as not yet complete.
- confirmed Zaltbommel municipal council has nominated Stieneke van der Graaf as mayor. — Confirmed in the municipal press release. source
- confirmed Van der Graaf has been acting mayor of Weststellingwerf since May 2025. — Confirmed by the municipality. source
- confirmed The installation is provisionally scheduled for 3 December 2026. — The municipality gives this date as the expected date. source
Editor's note
The nomination and procedure have been confirmed by the municipality. The appointment and installation are still in the future and could formally still change.Sources
- Stieneke van der Graaf voorgedragen als nieuwe kroonbenoemde burgemeester gemeente Zaltbommel — Gemeente Zaltbommel
- Stieneke van der Graaf burgemeester van Zaltbommel — De Stadskoerier
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „zaltbommel burgemeester”
- NOS — „zaltbommel burgemeester”
- Het Parool — „zaltbommel burgemeester”