Just six years after they came into existence, the nation’s five regional councils appear to be losing support among mayors. Regional councils were created in 2007 by a merger of the 16 counties that existed at the time. Their primary task is to manage healthcare, but 31 of the nation’s 98 mayors say local councils could accomplish that and the other regional council tasks more efficiently. Roger Buch, a political scientist specialising in local politics, pointed out that the ageing population would add to the cost and of providing healthcare in the years to come, and questioned why councils would want to take on that burden. Twenty-two mayors said they were in favour of keeping regional councils. Another 35 declined to answer. – Politiken