Samenvatting

Based on a case study into the amalgamation of Haren, Groningen and Ten Boer (the Netherlands), the author examines whether the criterion of fair procedure is being met. Amalgamations have been the order of the day since the 1970s. Many of the arguments used by politicians have not been confirmed or even disproved by academia. In those cases where a municipality and its inhabitants resist amalgamation, power appears to be a more important factor than the quality of the argument. The legal protection created for this purpose in a constitutional state appears to be virtually sidelined in all attempts to involve the courts in amalgamations. This is contrary to the criteria for a fair procedure.