Articles

Doen (wijzigende) instituties ertoe ? : De invloed van het gemeente(kies)decreet op de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen van 2006

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Abstract

With the local elections in 2006, new organisational schemes have been applied by the Flemish government to the 308 municipalities. These sche mes included institution al reform aimed to change the outset of local government. In this article we studied the influence of these reforms in practice. Are they actually carrier of change? We thereby focused on the direct aspects linked to these reforms. While many instruments of reform had indirect intended effects, acceptance and action among key decision-makers (both voters and local governors to the extent of their discretion) to use them directly becomes crucial. Our analysis has shown that, with some exceptions, direct autonomous space for action was only lim itedly used, hence reducing the chances for indirect change. Whi le it is still too early to fully assess the foreseen indirect effects, in our opinion it is crucial to understand the nature of these local reforms within the central (Flemish) bargaining arena. The latter seems to have transformed the new schemes of local governmental organisation to the path-dependent art of the political feasible.

How to Cite:

Ackaert, J. & De Ceuninck, K. & Reynaert, H. & Steyvers, K. & Valcke, T., (2007) “Doen (wijzigende) instituties ertoe ? : De invloed van het gemeente(kies)decreet op de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen van 2006”, Res Publica 49(1), 15-33.