Expats vs locals: tourism and community balance

Ahead of the 2026 Amsterdam municipal elections, on 9 March there was an Election Debate in English. BRAM RADIO aka Broadcast Amsterdam went along and made a [rough 😊] recording for anyone that missed it.

Debate participants: Suleyman Aslami (D66), Marianne Brackel (VVD), Juliet Broersen (Volt), Bastiaan Minderhoud(PvdA), Milka Yemane (Groenlinks)

Venue: Equals Amsterdam | Organiser: Tom Wouter Bijl (D66) | Host: Greg Shapiro 

This recording will also be aired several times on our streaming radio station in the run up to 18 March. (Disclaimer: minimal use of an AI tool to try to improve the audio quality, and edited for length.) 

About the Amsterdam elections 2026
Amsterdam will elect a new city council, and district committees, on Wednesday 18 March 2026. Many international residents are eligible to vote (see below), hence an elections debate in English also.

Quick links

• amsterdam.nl/en/elections [in English]
• amsterdam.nl/verkiezingen [in Dutch]

Choosing who to vote for?

• AT5 has a tool, the AT5 Kieskompas, to help you decide which party fits your issues, available in both Dutch and English, https://www.at5.nl/artikelen/237137/twijfel-jij-nog-wat-je-moet-stemmen-18-maart-vul-nu-het-at5-kieskompas-in
• Dutch News website has a round-up of the main local political parties and links here, https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/02/local-election-watch-housing-and-litter-dominate-in-amsterdam/

Who can vote? 

• You can vote if all of these apply to you:You are 18 years or older.
  You are registered as a resident of Amsterdam.
  You are an EU citizen, or you have been registered in the Netherlands without interruption for at least 5 years.If you are not sure, you can find out it you are eligible at amsterdam.nl/who-can-vote.
• If you are eligible, you will automatically receive a stempas, a voting pass, in the post about two weeks before the elections. look out for an envelope with the word, ‘Stem’ in big red letters on the front.
• Find your local polling booth here, https://stembureaus.amsterdam.nl/map
• At the polling booth, you’ll need your voting pass (stamps) and proof of identity to be able to vote, eg your passport, ID card, driving license or residence permit.

What are these elections for?

• Elections for the city council and the district committees are held every 4 years.
• For the city council, political parties submit their candidates to sit as councillors in the city council.
• In addition, each district has its own district committee. Candidates from both political and non-political parties and groups are eligible to stand for election.