Jan van Zanen has been Mayor of The Hague since 1 July 2020. He began his political career as a member of Utrecht City Council before being appointed Alderman for Finance, Economic Affairs, Public Space and Heritage in 1998. From 2003 to 2008, he served as the national Chair of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
From July 2005 until December 2013, Van Zanen was Mayor of Amstelveen. On 1 January 2014, he became Mayor of Utrecht. Between June 2015 and June 2023, he served as President of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG). On 1 July 2020, he was appointed Mayor of The Hague.
In addition, Jan van Zanen serves, among other roles, as:
- Member of the Presidency of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), since 2019;
- Executive President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), since 2019; and
- Member of the VNG Committee on Europe and International Affairs.
