Dutch opposition party votes to join European Socialist family
Progressive Netherlands members had to choose between center-left and green.
The largest opposition party in the Netherlands, Progressive Netherlands (PRO), has decided to join the European Socialists (PES) rather than the European Green Party (EGP), according to an internal vote announced on Friday. This decision was supported by 65% of members who participated in the poll. Prior to the voting, an advisory committee recommended joining PES, stating that it would enhance the party's influence at the European level.
The committee highlighted that PES boasts key figures such as prime ministers, the European Council President, European Commissioners, and national party leaders, whereas the Greens have a smaller presence in these areas. PRO leader Jesse Klaver attended a PES meeting before the June European Council summit alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Currently, PRO's eight Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are distributed among two parliamentary groups: Socialists and Democrats and Greens/European Free Alliance. However, the party plans to reassess this arrangement ahead of the 2029 European Parliament election. The choice of European party could also impact the distribution of EU funding, as most of it is allocated based on the number of MEPs each party has.
Under the current rules, PES could potentially count all of PRO's MEPs towards its funding share, even if some MEPs opt to remain with the European Green Party.
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