AKing's commissioner (Dutch:Commissaris van de Koning,CvdK) is the head of government and legislature in aprovince of the Netherlands. When thereigning monarch is a woman, the title isQueen's commissioner (Commissaris van de Koningin).
A commissioner is appointed by the Dutch Crown as its official representative, and serves as the non-voting chair of the provincial legislature, theStates-Provincial. They also serve as chair and full and voting member of theProvincial executive.
The government of the Netherlands consist of the national institutions, the twelveprovinces and the 342municipalities. The three tiers are largely organised in the same way, with adirectly electedlegislature, which in turn elects theexecutive branch, that is headed by achairperson appointed by theDutch monarch and theDutch crown respectively.
The provinces form the regional administration, between the national and municipal levels. They are responsible for issues such asspatial planning andhealth care, within the bounds prescribed by the national government. The provinces also oversee policy and finances of municipalities and other lesser authorities such aswater boards.
The provincial legislature, called theStates-Provincial or Provincial Council, are elected bydirect popular vote every four years. The executive authority is exercised collectively by the College of the King's Commissioner and theProvincial executive. The latter is elected by, and are accountable to, the provincial council.
The King's Commissioner is appointed by theDutch Crown, meaning theCouncil of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for a term of six years, renewable. An appointed commissioner can be dismissed only by the Crown.
When a vacancy arises, the States Provincial express their preferences to theMinister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, who, in turn, presents a candidate for appointment by the Council of Ministers.
The candidates are almost exclusively drawn from among prominent members of themajor national political parties, but are expected to be politically impartial while exercising their office.
In the Dutch province ofLimburg, the King's Commissioner is informally referred to as Governor (Dutch:Gouverneur), drawing on the corresponding office in the borderingBelgian province ofLimburg. Accordingly, the Province Hall (Provinciehuis) atMaastricht is thus often referred to as the Governor's Residence (Gouvernement).
This local custom arose from theparticular status of the province in the nineteenth century. The official name of the office, however, is the King's Commissioner just as in the other Dutch provinces.
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