Political parties start legal fight over left-wing’s “Pro” name change
Dozens of local political parties using “Pro” in their names say they will take legal action if the GroenLinks-PvdA merger party is allowed to register “Pro” as its new national name, NOS reported.
Dario Castiglione, speaking for about 50 local parties, said they will go to court if the Dutch Electoral Council, the Kiesraad, approves the registration. He said that in roughly 15 to 20 municipalities, parties are prepared to pursue the case aggressively, including ProVlissingen, ProVeenendaal and Pro Eindhoven.
The local groups argue GroenLinks-PvdA is appropriating a name they have used for years, calling it a direct threat to their political identity. Castiglione warned that the overlap would cause serious voter confusion because a national party would share a name already used in many municipalities for different political platforms.
Castiglione said the dispute could extend into municipal election procedures, where local election boards would have to decide which party can use the name if two groups register it in the same municipality. He said the decision would likely favor the party with the longest-standing registration.
A separate conflict has emerged in Zeeland, where ProZeeland is already registered for provincial elections. Party founder Robert Brunke, who registered the name in 2019, said he believes GroenLinks-PvdA will likely fail to secure it.
Brunke criticized the merger party’s handling of the issue, saying: “To put it as diplomatically as possible, I find the way this is being handled amateurish.”
He also told NOS that GroenLinks-PvdA has not contacted him. “I have not heard anything from them yet. If they want to talk, they are welcome. But they should not think we are going to change our party’s name.”
Castiglione, who is active with ProVeenendaal, said he contacted GroenLinks-PvdA’s party office directly and that a meeting is scheduled for the end of this month.
He said he is skeptical about the talks. “We are neither left nor right, and under this name we have long represented local pragmatic politics. We have nothing to do with the national GroenLinks-PvdA. It would be arrogant if they think we will simply back down.”
He also pointed to local GroenLinks-PvdA branches that have already begun using “PRO” branding, including PRO Groningen. Castiglione said such changes should not be made without official approval and suggested they were done at the direction of the national party. He called the move “petty,” adding: “Do they really think that with their large movement they can just do this?”
A GroenLinks-PvdA spokesperson said the party understands the concerns of local “Pro” parties and intends to discuss the issue with them. “We are confident that we will reach a solution through constructive dialogue,” the spokesperson said.
