Left-wing green party GroenLinks is being forced to slash its workforce by over one-third following financial troubles stemming from the party’s poor performance at the September general election.

The party has just four seats in parliament, compared with 10 before the election, and has lost some €300,000 in state subsidy. In addition, hundreds of members have left the party, adding to its financial woes.
Twelve of the 32 jobs at the party’s headquarters in Utrecht are to go and some members are pressing for the building on the Oudegracht in the centre of the city to be sold. The building was bought last year for around €2m, a purchase which ate up most of GroenLinks’ reserves.
In addition, eight of the party’s 21 parliamentary support staff are to lose their jobs.