Andre Rieu - Maastricht Mayor Resigns
Maastricht Mayor Resigns Over Bulgarian Holiday Home Affair
By Rene Beekman January 16, 2010Gerd Leers has resigned as mayor of the Dutch town of Maastricht following a damaging report about his conduct in a conflict over a holiday bungalow Leers had bought in Bulgaria.
In an emotional speech to the municipal council, Leers said: "Can I ask you for your compassion? Can eight years of hard work on tough dossiers be undone by one bad match? I don't this is right. Should I leave? I landed in a swamp in Bulgaria. I tried to find a way out. I have openly admitted this. The appearance of conflict of interest is sometimes hard to avoid. I have not broken any laws. I have been clumsy and unwise.But I would like to ask you to give me a chance to repair the damage that I have caused to the image of the city."
In 2006 Leers bought two holiday homes in the Bulgarian town of Byala from real estate developer Marina Black Sea Development for a total of over 230000 euro. A top municipal official in Leers' municipality was one of the shareholders in the company.
Not only were the homes completed much later than promised, it transpired that the entire project had been used as collateral for a loan by the Bulgarian company and the villas could not be put in Leers' name.
Attempting to solve the situation, Leers turned to the Bulgarian ambassador to the Netherlands.
A report by the Bureau of Integrity Dutch Municipalities, made public on January 9 2010, said Leers' conduct and specifically getting the Bulgarian ambassador involved, had been "clumsy" and "unwise."
Head of the PvdA (labour party) faction in the council, Manon Fokke, was quoted by Dutch daily De Volkskrant as saying "we have to conclude that the damage to the image of the city is considerable. The authority of Leers' function no longer exists. The situation has become unworkable."
According to De Volkskrant, Leers said he was not afraid of an investigation that is still underway against the top municipal official from whom he bought the holiday home and who was accused of having wrongfully applied for and received European Union funding for the project.
Posted by Moderator Prudence at Tuesday, February 16, 2010 10:03 AM 
Categories: Special Entry
Tags: Andre Rieu
Categories: Special Entry
Tags: Andre Rieu
My sympathy to mayor Leers. His problem seems small [not to Mr. Leers] compared
to the snakepit of U.S. politics where
serious problems fall prey to partisan
obstructionism with no end on the horizon. Have noted the honorable mayor
Leers down front at many Andre concerts.
My sentiments too, Mayor Leers has been wonderful and certainly with promoting Andre as Andre tirelessly promotes Maastricht. I will miss him and I know Andre will terribly miss him also, they have quite a bond - every jot and tittle is a challenged these days.
I don't pretend to know much about politics, and especially those of another country, but there is something very sad about this. I wish him well & I think his leaving will be the city's loss. I hope those who supported him will let him know how much they appreciated him.
Dear Mr Leers I saw you in Maastricht when they had the special march. I wish you well with your next adventure. I am not Maastricht geborn but I wouldn't mind being adopted.I loved you dancing at our Maestro's request/demand? all the best to you and your lovely wife
Elizabeth aka HRH EIII
Only because he is associated with André Rieu, does not make me feel sorry for the man. Politicians mostly line there own pockets, there are not many with just a white vest, in every country is one that ends in a scandal. You just have to eat your soup the way you cooked it.