From Amateurs to Professionals: The Changing Face of Local Elected Representatives in Europe

Abstract

This article seeks to analyse the trends towards professionalisation in local elected representatives in Europe. It focuses mainly on the situation of executive members. Because of the difficulty of defining the concept, the professionalisation of local government leadership is studied from two angles: an investigation into institutional evolutions that have served to accelerate the professionalisation process (division of labour in favour of executive members, direct election of the mayor, evolution of remuneration) and an empirical approach to evaluating the indicators of professionalisation (time spent in the exercise of office, elected office as a normal professional activity, affirmation of political careers).