Arnhem bids farewell to 22 councillors with royal and municipal honours
Arnhem’s municipal council honoured 22 departing councillors for their dedication to local democracy. Three received the Order of Orange-Nassau, while others were awarded the Arnhems Meisje, recognising their years of service and sacrifice for the city’s residents.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Honours Awarded | 3 Members of the Order of Orange-Nassau, multiple Arnhems Meisje awards |
| Recipients | Mark Coenders (GroenLinks), Guus van der Laak (Arnhem Centraal), Mattijs Loor (D66) |
| Years of Service | 12 years each for Coenders, Van der Laak, and Loor |
| Departing Councillors | 22 in total, including representatives from GroenLinks, D66, VVD, and others |
| Location | Arnhem, Gelderland |
| Date of Farewell | 1 April 2026 |
The Arnhem municipal council plays a key role in local governance, representing citizens and shaping policies that affect daily life in the city. Honouring departing councillors highlights the importance of their contributions to maintaining democratic processes and civic engagement.
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Royal and municipal honours awarded to departing Arnhem councillors
The Arnhem municipal council said farewell on Tuesday evening to 22 of its members who will not return after the 18 March elections for a new council term. Mayor Marcouch addressed each of them personally and presented several with royal and municipal honours.
Marcouch had a special award in store for Mark Coenders (GroenLinks), Guus van der Laak (Arnhem Centraal) and Mattijs Loor (D66). Since Tuesday evening, the councillors may call themselves Members of the Order of Orange-Nassau, in grateful recognition of their years of dedication to local democracy.
Coenders served as a councillor for his party for 12 years, including seven as parliamentary leader. Van der Laak and Loor also each served 12 years in municipal politics, with the latter serving as parliamentary leader for D66 over the past four years.
Arnhems Meisje
For several other councillors, the mayor had an Arnhems Meisje in store, a municipal honour awarded to those who have made an outstanding contribution to the city.
Mayor Marcouch said: ‘These councillors have served the city as public representatives, some for many years, others for a shorter period. That deserves the greatest respect, because without them our democracy would have little reason to exist.’
He continued: ‘Council work is important and demands sacrifice. We must never take it for granted. These people consciously choose to sacrifice their free time to enter the council chamber with conviction, to engage in debate. Sometimes with clashing ideas and sharp exchanges, but always with respect for the person opposite them. Because that is when the debate serves the people of Arnhem, in whose name the council always acts.’
Parliamentary aides
A large group of parliamentary aides also said goodbye. Some will move up within their party tomorrow to become councillors. Mayor Marcouch had kind words for this group too: ‘Their work matters. They work hard, read extensively and pore over countless files. They may not be as visible to the public or in debates, but their contribution is indispensable. There should be no misunderstanding about that: without them, councillors cannot function.’
Departing councillors
The following councillors will not return to the municipal council after tonight*:
- Mark Coenders (GroenLinks)
- Leo de Groot (Partij voor de Dieren)
- Suzan Kemperman (D66)
- René Kraaijenbrink (Arnhem Centraal)
- Guus van der Laak (Arnhem Centraal)
- Mattijs Loor (D66)
- Nathalie Nede (ChristenUnie)
- Steffenie Pape (VVD)
- Cyriel Prinsen (GroenLinks)
- Muriel Simonis (GroenLinks)
- Coen Verheij (PVV)
- Nicky Eppich (VVD)
- Mustafa Bal (Denk)
- Scott van den Broek (Groep van den Broek)
- Ricardo Brouwer (PvdA)
- Özgür Dayioglu (GroenLinks)
- Sam Groenendijk (PvdA)
- Hasan Kumas (VVD)
- Erik Lu (Partij voor de Dieren)
- Niels Scholten (Volt)
- Wim Spruijt (Arnhem Centraal)
- Carolien Zwijnepoel (D66)
*Bold names received an Arnhems Meisje
Mayor Marcouch concluded: ‘On behalf of the municipal executive, I would like to thank them all sincerely for their service as councillors. I hope they look back on their time on the council with satisfaction and, at the same time, have inspired and enthused others for this important work. That certainly seems to have been the case with the group of councillors who will be installed on Wednesday evening. I look forward to welcoming them!’