Amsterdam council’s public health, IT and media chief Shula Rijxman has resigned, saying she did not feel comfortable in the role, eight months after being sworn in.

Rijxman, an official on behalf of D66 and the former head of public broadcaster NPO, had faced criticism from both civil servants and councillors for being poorly briefed during meetings and for potential conflicts of interest with her previous job.

‘I have come to the conclusion that there is not enough space to do things in a way that is effective and that fits who I am and want to be,’ she said in her resignation letter. ‘In practice, I am too often the subject of the conversation.’

Rijxman’s departure leaves the city coalition – an amalgam of GroenLinks, the PvdA and D66 –  with eight executives and her work will be spread between the rest while a replacement is sought, the Parool reported.