On Thursday evening, CDA MP Sybrand Buma (53) was named the successor of Ferd Crone as mayor of the Frisian capital city of Leeuwarden.
Translation by Traci White
Buma is currently the faction chair for the CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) in the Dutch parliament, and the Leeuwarder Courant reports that he will be stepping down from that position in the near future.
The position of mayor is appointed rather than elected in the Netherlands, and Buma will be the first CDA mayor in Leeuwarden since the party was officially founded in 1977. Becoming the mayor of a Frisian city has been something of a family business for the Buma: Sybrand’s father Bernard was the mayor of Workum and Sneek, and his grandfather Sybrand was mayor of Stavoren and Wymbritseradiel.
Crone has been the mayor of Leeuwarden since 2007 and he stepped down from the position in April. He is planning to remain involved in politics: Crone will be representing he Labour Party (PvdA) in the Dutch House of Representatives (Eerste Kamer).
Leeuwarden is not the only northern city in the process of looking for a new mayor: Groningen’s PvdA mayor, Peter den Oudsten, will be leaving the position he has filled since 2015 later this year.
Photo source: David Plas / Wikipedia
