The left-wing green party GroenLinks has pulled out of talks to form a new coalition administration in Amsterdam, just days after sealing a preliminary deal with the D66 Liberals.

The right-wing Liberal VVD joined the talks earlier this week and this was a step too far for GroenLinks, local leader Rutger Groot Wassink said. ‘You have to stick with your principles,’ he said. ‘If the [agreed] plans are too far away from them, you have to accept that you cannot go any further.’

The two Liberal parties need a third partner to form a majority coalition in the capital. Labour and the Socialists are the only other option. D66 won 14 seats on the 45-seat council in the March local elections. Labour support plunged by 33% and now has 10. The VVD, GroenLinks and SP all won six.

The local elections took place seven weeks ago and new coalitions have been agreed in 80% of the country’s local authority areas.