PRO members decide on European direction
Members of Progressief Nederland choose today between joining the European Greens and the Social Democrats.
Members of Progressief Nederland, or PRO for short, are voting until today on the party’s European political family. They can choose between the European Greens Party and the Party of European Socialists.
The referendum is being held online from 18 to 25 September. PRO emerged from cooperation between GroenLinks and the PvdA, but at European level those parties belong to different political families. European rules do not allow full membership of both parties.
The choice is therefore not only about formal membership. It also determines which European party PRO identifies with most closely in the coming years and which political networks are central to the party. The party says both directions are substantively important, but is asking members to express a single preference.
The party board advises members to choose the Party of European Socialists, the PES. According to that advice, PRO also wants to work as closely as possible with the European Greens. In this way, the board is attempting to link the PvdA’s socio-economic tradition with the green and progressive course of GroenLinks.
The European Greens are themselves campaigning for PRO to join their party. They point to similarities with PRO on climate, migration, lgbti rights and the economy. They also refer to the voting behaviour of PRO MEPs, who, according to the Greens, often vote with the Greens group when the groups diverge.
The PES, by contrast, emphasises its size and presence in almost all European countries. From within that family, supporters say, PRO could build broader social-democratic cooperation. The party itself says that joining the PES need not mean that its ties with the Greens disappear.
The outcome will not directly determine the composition of the European Parliament. It will, however, provide direction for PRO’s European positioning and cooperation with sister parties ahead of the 2029 European elections. At 11.45 am, the result was not yet known.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- PRO members are voting from 18 to 25 September on joining the PES or the European Greens Party.
- The party board recommends the PES, while retaining strong cooperation with the Greens.
- The result was not yet known at 11.45 am.
Left
Arguments A left-wing approach emphasises climate ambition, social justice and minority rights. From that perspective, joining the Greens is the obvious choice, because that family is the most outspoken on these issues.
Values Solidarity, equality, international cooperation and ecological limits.
Consequences A green choice could sharpen PRO’s substantive profile, but might increase its distance from broader social-democratic power blocs.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach emphasises that PRO needs both traditions. Formal affiliation with the PES can be combined with practical cooperation with the Greens.
Values Governability, compromise, continuity and influence within existing European networks.
Consequences This course could dampen internal differences, but may also be less clear to voters expecting a distinct European identity.
Right
Arguments A pragmatic, more centrist approach points to the greater size and broader governmental networks of the social-democratic family. PRO could find more influence and administrative clout there.
Values Influence, feasibility, economic responsibility and broad political cooperation.
Consequences Choosing the PES could bring the party closer to wielding power, but critics say it could make the green profile less visible.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The core facts can be found directly in information from PRO and the European political families involved. The referendum result, which was not yet known, is explicitly presented as uncertain.
- confirmed The referendum runs from 18 to 25 September 2026. — Mentioned on the official PRO page. source
- confirmed PRO members are choosing between the PES and the European Greens Party. — Confirmed in PRO PES’s official information. source
- confirmed The party board recommends joining the PES while maintaining a strong connection with the Greens. — Confirmed by the board’s recommendation from Progressief Nederland. source
- confirmed European rules do not allow full membership of both European parties. — Explained in the PRO PES FAQ. source
Editor's note
The referendum dates, the two options and the board’s recommendation are certain. The result and the precise consequences for future European cooperation were still unknown at the time of publication.Sources
- Update over het Europa-referendum — Progressief Nederland
- Wij zijn PRO PES — PRO PES
- The Future is Green — European Greens
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „pro progressief nederland”
- de Volkskrant — „pro progressief nederland”
- RTL Nieuws — „pro progressief nederland”