Suchergebnisse

The article analyses the gender balance in local Belgian politics in the aftermath of the 2006 local elections. It offers a comparative perspective on the position of candidates, representatives elected & those holding office including data from the last three decades. The article also discusses the attitude of local party sections towards measures to foster a gender balance. The data show that local party sections more easily agree on parity at the level of candidates than that they support a real sharing of power at the level of the executive power. Local party sections do not support more than a guaranteed minimum presence of wo/men in the councils of eldermen. Furthermore, both at the level of candidates & at that of the executive the data reveal a final glass ceiling, Women have difficulties reaching the top positions on electoral lists as well as the top positions in the local executive power. Tables, Graphs. Adapted from the source document.

Amalgamation of various Belgian municipalities has not led to an increase of administrative power or authority. However, distance between the citizen & the administration has increased: geographically, creating problems in outlying residential zones regarding intramunicipal service provision; socially, in terms of the increase of the influence of & importance attached to the municipal executive body; & organizationally, in terms of the expansion of the tasks of the administrators. The political policy structures have also been profoundly changed: the national parties have gained in influence; political instability has increased; the operation of local policy organs has changed; & the municipal councils have acquired a more intellectually oriented professional composition. 13 Tables. Modified HA.

The legislation and regulations which seek to guarantee good governance in the Caribbean parts of the Dutch Kingdom are similar to the Netherlands. Nevertheless, the administrative performance in the West is significantly inferior to that of the latter. To explain this difference, this thesis highlights the fact that the legislation in the West codifies norms of conduct that are dominant in modern Western societies. However, due to the small-scale, the poverty and the stratification of the insular societies other norms of conduct are dominant in the Caribbean parts of the Dutch Kingdom. To maintain their position politicians depend on electoral support. Therefore they should act according to the norms of conduct that are generally accepted within society. As a result an incentive for politicians is manifest to act contrary to the appropriate line. In the practice of the Caribbean overseas territories this incentive results especially in political patronage. Yet, the examples of Barbados and Anguilla learn that despite the fact that small-scale, poverty and social stratification are unalterable good governance is still possible. Where, however, the high quality of governance in Barbados should especially be ascribed to the de-politicization of the distribution power of public goods of the executive branch, the high quality of governance in Anguilla is mainly due to the supervision of London. Because it should not to be expected that the administrative elite in the Caribbean parts of the Dutch Kingdom will adjust their state system on their own initiative, good governance will in the first place depend on the willingness of the Netherlands to play an active role in the local administrative affairs of the islands in the West.