GroenLinks and Labour Party: Progressive Together in Europe (Motion to the GroenLinks congress)

This motion comes from the DWARS board together with a number of GroenLinks members including former MEP, EU staff and European Green Party delegation members, we call on the party boards not to exclude the European Green Party when a choice has to be made as to where the new party wants to be affiliated at the European level.

Below the motion Progressive together in Europe:

 The GroenLinks Congress, held on 21 June 2025 in Nieuwegein;

Noting that:

  • the members of GroenLinks and Labour Party have been asked to agree to the proposal to jointly form one new party in 2026;
  • this will affect GroenLinks's future participation in our European family and other international partnerships; 
  • GroenLinks and the Labour Party work together in the European context within different political families: the Greens/EFA (European Free Alliance), and the S&D Group (Socialists & Democrats);  
  • the GroenLinks and PvdA associations work together in a European context within different political families - GroenLinks within the European Green Party (EGP) and PvdA within Party of European Socialists (PES) - and different core values underlie both families; 
  • local administrators through the VNG Europe and International Committee, have a representative role to various European partnerships such as the EU Committee of the Regions and the European Council;
  • the party executives have expressed a desire to remain members of two political families and have launched a study on the possibilities. If it does have to come down to a choice, the members of the new party should have their say; 
  • for the time being, a political party can only be a member of one political family; and thus it is currently unclear whether the newly formed party will be a member of the European Green Party; 
  • DWARS passed a motion at its congress on 31 May expressing a preference to join the Federation of Young European Greens;

 Whereas:

  • the major European societal challenges, such as climate change, sustainability, international solidarity, asylum & migration, digitisation and AI, housing,security, equitable economic development, the protection of democracy, rule of law and human rights, defence, and industrial policy, among others, require a strong and progressive vision and approach both inside and outside the European Parliament;  
  • it is therefore important that we, as parties, find a common and unified direction and connection with that European political family that shares the above priorities aimed at systemic change and based on values such as social justice, openness, tolerance, inclusion, respect for minorities, respect for the earth and the power of imagination;
  • direction is set for the new party, how to position itself politically in a European context so that political ideals can be realised in the strongest possible way. 

Requests the party leadership

  1. Declare themselves in favour of the importance of the new party to be formed joining those European political group(s) which are based on the values mentioned above, are forward-looking and take into account the diversity of the progressive movement in the European member states;
  2. Instruct the international secretaries to work out a proposal with a roadmap for the newly created party, how, why, and when to join the European family that best reflects the values listed above;
  3. Shaping the merger process so that membership of the European Green Party remains possible;
  4. In the elaboration of this assignment, also include the consequences of this route for political perseverance, current cooperation structures, legal and financial implications;
  5. In developing this mandate, inform members properly and transparently about the possible consequences of the various choices made within the roadmap;
  6. To submit this proposal to members for decision.

 

 Signatories:

  1. Marieke Schouten et al. 
  2. Elizabeth Adelore
  3. Rick Baerends
  4. Gonne Beekman
  5. Monique de Beer
  6. Stephanie Bennett
  7. Natasja van den Berg
  8. Jeroen van Splunter - Berg 
  9. Marloes van Splunter- Berg 
  10. Farah Bijl 
  11. Lars de Boer
  12. Jack Bogers
  13. Julian Bos 
  14. Wouter Bosgra
  15. Mark Brakel
  16. Saskia Brand
  17. Gijs Broere
  18. Lies Brouwer
  19. Gerard Cats
  20. Boukje Cuelenaere
  21. Jelle Doosje
  22. Marieke van Dooninck
  23. Greet van Erp
  24. Johan Feenstra 
  25. Marilene Gathier
  26. Luc Goos
  27. Laura Graus
  28. Jasper Green
  29. Jelle de Gruyter
  30. Simon Handgraaf
  31. Jan Hoek (Amsterdam) 
  32. Conny Hoitink
  33. Wim Haver 
  34. Rachel Heijne
  35. Rik Hoevers
  36. Abdulahi Hussen
  37. Dedde de Jong
  38. Maaike Cardinal 
  39. Aad Kessler
  40. Dirk de Knecht
  41. Timo Koot
  42. Benni Leemhuis
  43. Peter Laban
  44. Myriam Landard
  45. Minne van der Mast
  46. Jan Muijtjens
  47. Ruth Noorduyn
  48. Toos van Oers
  49. Andries Oldenkamp
  50. Hilda Passchier
  51. Rocco Piers
  52. Esther Punte
  53. Youssef Rahman
  54. Ellen van Reesch 
  55. Tamar Reijnen
  56. Soesha Sandker
  57. Judith Sargentini
  58. Tara Scally
  59. Femke Sopke 
  60. Corina Straatsma
  61. Klaas Swart
  62. Frans Sweers
  63. Joris Tielens
  64. Max Tollenaar
  65. Marius Troost
  66. Pieter Matthias van der Veen
  67. Dylan van der Vegt
  68. Mieke van der Vegt
  69. Marre de Vetten
  70. Erwin Virginia
  71. Derek Verwey
  72. Tom van der Wal
  73. Maaike Wijngaard
  74. Rens Wisselo
  75. Manon Wolfkamp
  76. Tutku Yűksel