This election determined the composition of the municipal councils for the following four years.

The elections were held a few weeks after the fall of the Fourth Balkenende cabinet.

Support for the CDA also decreased, while the VVD made moderate gains and Democrats 66 nearly doubled their support.

The CDA held the most seats of any party, mainly due to its higher level of support in rural areas.

A total of 8,654 seats in 392 municipalities were up for election:[1]