Councilman Paul de Bruijn Announces His Resignation
Alderman Paul de Bruijn will step down from his administrative duties effective February 1, 2026. Today, he informed the city council of this decision in a letter. On February 2, De Bruijn will begin working as an advisor on European cooperation for the City of Leiden.
Paul de Bruijn (VVD) was active in local politics for nearly eight years, six of which he served as an alderman. Since 2022, his responsibilities have included the economy, regional cooperation, employment and income, and real estate. In his new role, he will work to further raise the profile of the City of Leiden and Key Region Leiden in Brussels, in part to identify funding opportunities and better align European policy with the region’s needs.
Pride
“I look back on the past few years with great pleasure,” says the alderman. “Coming from the business world, a career in politics has really touched me. Of course, I would have liked to see some projects further along; I still find it quite difficult to let go of that. But I’m proud of the initiatives I’ve been able to advance together with my colleagues. Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with—from the council, our executive board, municipal staff, and my political group, to colleagues, partners, business owners, and residents of Voorschoten, the region, and Brussels.”
Thank you very much
On behalf of the municipal executive, Mayor Nadine Stemerdink thanks Alderman De Bruijn for all his dedication to Voorschoten: “Many thanks to Paul for the way he has thrown himself into important initiatives, from the downtown development vision and the cultural center in the Kruispuntkerk to regional cooperation in Holland Rijnland and Key Region Leiden. We’ve come to know him as an alderman who drew energy from helping people move forward, whether that was in finding work, learning to read and write, or pursuing entrepreneurship. He also represented the VNG in Brussels. As a team, we’re going to miss Paul tremendously, but above all, we’re happy for him as he takes this new step and wish him much joy and success.”