GroenLinks and PvdA members to vote for possibility of a new party in June

The members of GroenLinks and PvdA will be asked at a congress on June 21 whether the parties should merge into a new left-wing party. If the members agree the party will be founded midway through 2026. The parties wrote to their members saying that they have seen a lot of support for this plan. GroenLinks and PvdA currently already have an alliance in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

“Our country is ready for a different, fair course. The international instability is increasing, and the Netherlands is also changing rapidly,” the party chairs Katinka Eikelenboom (GroenLinks) and Esther-Mirjam Sent (PvdA) wrote to their members.

Left-wing parties have worked together more often since the formation of the last Rutte Cabinet. They formed an alliance in the Senate and the Tweede Kamer. The parties also have an alliance in several provinces and municipalities.

The parties also joined together in the European Parliamentary elections, although they do belong to different European parties. Discussions have been held for a while regarding a possible merger. MP Habtamu de Hoop's recent comments about starting a completely new party instead of a merger led to mostly positive responses.

If a new left-wing party is founded, it will come after the municipal elections in March 2026. GroenLinks and PvdA will go into the elections for most municipalities together.