Mayor of Breda | The Netherlands

Paul Depla is mayor of Breda in the Netherlands and is committed to making the city of Breda a green, hospitable city that thinks beyond its borders. Thanks to Paul, Breda is a city which acts upon the idea that cooperation with inhabitants is important; people think in possibilities and seek creative solutions. As chairman of the G40 city network, Paul is intensively involved with the complex issues that play a role in the 40 largest cities of the Netherlands. He brings the interests of the cities to the attention of central government and national politics. Before coming to Breda, Paul was the mayor of Heerlen for 5 years and alderman in Nijmegen for another 10. He studied sociology and political science and obtained his PhD with a study into the renewal of local democracy. After his studies, Paul was active in Wim Kok's campaign team and has acted as a political advisor to the Minister of Transport, Public Works & Water Management.