The Dutch political parties GroenLinks and PvdA have announced they will continue together under the name Progressief Nederland starting in June. The parties, which currently form the largest opposition bloc in the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer), will use the shortened name PRO.
Party leader Jesse Klaver introduced the new name on Thursday, stating that progressivism means fighting for a fair and just society. He explained that the movement’s mission is progress for everyone, rather than just for a wealthy few. Although the new name does not explicitly mention the parties’ green or social-democratic roots, Klaver emphasised that their political direction remains the same. He described the party as being “proudly left of centre.” The new party logo will feature a green rose.
Speculation about the name had been growing for several days after media outlets analysed website data and social media channels. With 103,000 members, the merged organisation is set to become the largest political party in the Netherlands by membership. A spokesperson confirmed that this figure accounts for members who previously held subscriptions to both individual parties.
Klaver expressed confidence that PRO could become the largest party in the next general election if it remains true to its values. The combined group is already the largest in the Senate (Eerste Kamer) and holds the most Dutch seats in the European Parliament. Despite these positions, the alliance recently faced challenges, losing five seats in last autumn’s general election and several local council seats in recent municipal votes.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
