This project is turned to the role of local councillors in a changing governmental environment. More in particular it focuses on the vision of local councillors on: a) local democracy, government and policy b) the position/functioning and influence of (members of) the local council in (a) c) their political recruitment en career development d) their role perception and behaviour in their function as a local councillor. The project is dominantly quantitative research phase in 15 European countries it covers a more qualitative indepth analysis of the research questions in Belgium, the Netherlands and France.