GROENLINKS EERSTE KAMERFRAKTIE
Postbus 20017, NL 2500 EA Den Haag
contact: Tof Thissen
Ph: 31 475 333992
Mobile: 31 6 51526790
tthissen@eerstekamer.nl

GROENLINKS TWEEDE KAMERFRAKTIE
Postbus 20018, NL 2500 EA Den Haag
Ph: 31 70 318 3030
Fax: 31 70 318 3685
groenlinks-nl@europarl.europa.eu
Press: Tom VAN DER LEE
Ph: 31 70 3182669
Fax: 31 70 3182685
t.vdlee@tweedekamer.nl

Members of the national parliament

Kathalijne BUITENWEG, MEP
EP-ASP 08 G 309, rue Wiertz, B-1047 Brussels
Ph: 32 2 284 5266
Fax: 32 2 284 9266
kathalijnemaria.buitenweg@europarl.eu.europa
www.greens-efa.org/buitenweg

Joost LAGENDIJK, MEP
EP-ASP 08 G 305, rue Wiertz, B-1047 Brussels
Ph: 32 2 284 5176
Fax: 32 2 284 9176
joost.lagendijk@europarl.europa.eu
www.greens-efa.org/lagendijk

press: Anita DE HORDE
pH: 32 2 284 1471 or mob.: +31 627 015 080
groenlinks-nl@europarl.europa.eu

Political Orientation
As the name suggests, GroenLinks is based on both Green and left philosophies. Green, since the party stands for a "liveable environment and the recovery of the ecological balance", and left because the party stands for "protection of the position of the least paid through a drastic levelling of income".
GroenLinks thereby takes a stand against the neoliberal model of economic growth and chooses instead selective state intervention and decentralisation of government tasks. In addition, the party takes an active stance against the extreme right.

Party Structure
The highest decision-making body of GroenLinks is the party Congress, in which all members have the right to vote. The party Board of 15 members and the MP's are all monitored by the Congress. Candidates for the European and national elections, as well as the Senate, are elected by the Congress, which also sets the political course of GroenLinks and decides upon the national and European election programme.

The Founding of GroenLinks
GroenLinks (the Green Left) was officially founded in November 1990, yet has been in existence since 1989. GroenLinks was formed as a result of a merger of 4 small leftwing parties: PRP (Radical Political Party), CPN (Communist Party of the Netherlands), PSP (Pacifist Socialist Party) and EVP (Evangelical People's Party).

The co-operation framework of GroenLinks was established prior to the national elections of 1989, in which the above-mentioned parties took part with a common programme and a common list of candidates. Despite high expectations, no more than six seats were obtained and it was rumoured the GroenLinks "experiment" had failed.
However, the municipal elections of March 1990 were more successful, with GroenLinks obtaining 300 councillor seats in several municipalities. In 1990, the four predecessor parties dissolved and GroenLinks was officially launched. GroenLinks won 5,2% in the provincial elections in 1991, plus 5.2% and 4 seats in the Senate.

Political History
Even though the polls were favourable, the following parliamentary elections in 1994 were disappointing for GroenLinks. The party lost a seat, and the same occurred in the European Elections in 1994, mainly due to competition waged by the candidate selected by the Groenen to head their list. The first GroenLinks mayor was appointed in 1992 in Oostzaan, Amsterdam.

The municipal and parliamentary elections in 1998 brought about radical changes in the position of GroenLinks at the local and national level. GroenLinks achieved 7,3% of the votes in the nationals elections and won a total of 11 seats in parliament. This success has been attributed, to a great extent, to the performance of party leader Paul Rosenmoeller.

The last couple of years have been turbulent for both GroenLinks and Dutch politics in general. During the election year 2002, GroenLinks witnessed the rise of right-wing sentiments and sweeping anti-immigrant statements. The Dutch political system was shaken by popular outsider Pim Fortuyn, who was shot on the 6th of May in 2002, just one week before the national elections of the 15th..
The elections of May 2002 showed a striking rise of the right-wing parties, including Pim Fortuyn's LPF (Pim Fortuyn's List), which won a landslide in these elections (26 seats in Parliament). GroenLinks saw its predicted gains evaporate after the murder of Fortuyn and lost one seat in these elections.
The political landscape changed drastically in 2002, but the new government of CDA (Christian democrats), LPF and VVD (Conservative Liberals) fell as early as September 2002. As a result, new elections were held on the 22nd of January 2003. At the start of the electoral campaign, party leader Paul Rosenmöller resigned and new leader Femke Halsema took over. The elections brought about a larger loss for GroenLinks, which received 5.2% of the votes that presently leaves GroenLinks with 8 seats in Parliament. Presently, GroenLinks is trying to look for alternative ways to oppose the current right-wing government, thereby using new methods such as 'permanent campaigning'. Despite the loss of votes, GroenLinks is today a fast-growing party. At present, we have about 21.000 members. Furthermore, GroenLinks has 7 mayors at present.

GroenLinks in the European Parliament
The most recent European elections were held in June 2004. For this end, GroenLinks joined the European Green Party in a common Green European Campaign. Since the June elections, GroenLinks holds two seats in the European parliament. Wherever possible, the GroenLinks MEPs cooperate with politicians of other EU countries with the same political vision. They are part of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance. The Greens/EFA is a group of 36 representatives of Green parties and 4 regional party deputies and 2 independents. Together these 42 members constitute the fourth largest group in the European Parliament, which has 732 members in total.

GroenLinks and its allies in the European Parliament are committed to sustainability, democracy, social justice, international solidarity and cultural openness. To this end they cooperate closely with non-governmental organisations (such as environmental groups), with Green deputies in the national parliaments, and with the European Green Party (EGP), whose 32 members include parties from Western as well as from Eastern Europe.
 

National Government:

Other parties Represented in National Parliament :

Next National Elections:

Latest Green Party Election Results:

• National Election Year: 2006
  MPs:7 (+ 4 senators elected in 2007)
  Total No. National Votes: 447.542
  % Gained: 4,6
• European Elections: 2004
  MEPs:2
  Total No. European Votes: 352.201
  % Gained:7,4