Councillor training cash goes to big parties

Monday 16 November 2009

The bulk of the €400,000 set aside by the home affairs ministry to train local councillors goes to nationally-established parties, according to research by civil service magazine Binnenlands Bestuur.

In total, €370,807 of the money went to parties which are active at a national level, the research showed. The €30,000 remaining was split between the 143 local interest parties represented in local government. Yet local parties currently hold one third of town and city government seats.

The magazine gave the example of Zaanstad, where local party Democratisch Zandstad was awarded just €100 to train up 12 people hoping to win a seat in the March elections. 'I think I will buy a book,' party leader Aart Molenaar told the magazine.

© DutchNews.nl

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