Surveys had shows that 84% of the 6,300 respondents are satisfied with the administrative services of local municipalities. Taina Bofferding explained that the government will address a number of key points in a second phase in autumn. These points will for instance include the code of ethics or the internal functioning of the different municipal organs.
The mayors also discussed the sense of cooperation that existed during the more difficult months of the pandemic. They for example explained that they had created a Whatsapp group chat which allowed them to give each other advice. This quick exchange was key to taking swift and informed decisions, they explained. The pandemic also underlined the importance of digitisation, they agreed. “It [digitisation] has become a reality in the meantime. But we also know now that we need a legislative framework that lines out which services can be provided from home - and which cannot.”
The feedback was overall positive, with one main point of criticism: the mayors explained that they often received the new regulations and recommendations after they were publicly announced. This made it difficult to prepare everything at such short-notice, they lamented. Some municipal services therefore struggled to keep up with the demand.
