Foundation or Fragment of Local Democracy? Empirically Assessing the Roles of Local Councillors in Belgian Governance

Abstract

It is often argued that local governance conflicts with the prescribed functioning of local councillors. We could wonder if councillors have become fragments of local democracy, rather than the foundation they are supposed to be. This article empirically assesses the classic role-set (representation, policy, control) of local councillors in Belgian governance. Besides pointing to a gap between theory and practice, it underlines a substantial discrepancy between councillors’ role attitude and subsequent behaviour. This democratic deficit seems mainly due to the informal decision-making culture in Belgian (local) politics, i.e. the dominance of the local executive and stringent party discipline.
 
 Keywords: • local councillors • role-set • governance • democratic deficit • Belgium

Necessary Asymmetry or Undemocratic Imbalance? Professionalisation in the Recruitment and Career of Belgian Local Councillors

“…9 Yet whilst the system of personal monism was intended to preserve council primacy, reality seems to work the other way around. Research has revealed that non-executive councillors are often marginalised in practice due to the dominance of a strong executive (Verhelst et al 2011).…”

“…This party dominance continues during councillors' careers as well and confirms Belgium as a typical party government. Accordingly, party politics partly explains why councillors from the opposition often fail to fulfil their designated role as representative, policy-maker and scrutiniser (Verhelst et al 2011).…”

“…These results might partly explain why bias in recruitment and career not only contrast with formal local government principles, but interfere with daily practice too. Indeed, research has revealed that exactly this asymmetry causes a democratic deficit in Belgian governance -with non-executive and opposition councillors failing to assume their role as the foundation of local democracy (Verhelst et al 2011).…”