GroenLinks-PvdA allowed to use PRO name after court rejects local parties’ challenge

The Council of State has cleared the way for GroenLinks-PvdA to contest the upcoming Dutch Parliament and European Parliament elections under the new name Progressive Netherlands (PRO). Several local political parties that already use “PRO” in their names had objected, arguing that the change could cause confusion among voters. However, the Council upheld the Electoral Council’s approval of the new party name.

The country’s highest administrative court stated that the matter concerns a change in the national register of party names and that it is up to the central electoral committees in municipalities and provinces to rule on name changes at the local level.

During a hearing last month, ProVeenendaal representative Dario Castiglione argued before the court that local parties carrying the name Pro are already frequently being mistaken for the newly renamed national party. According to the local groups, this risks undermining the political identity they have developed over many years. They are also concerned that voters could mistakenly support PRO because they believe it is linked to a local Pro party, or the other way around.

“It's disappointing, really disappointing,” Castiglione said in response to the ruling. He noted that the Council of State had looked only at “what is strictly laid down in the law” and said he was “disappointed” that the administrative court “did not find room to take a broader view.” He questioned whether it might be time to amend the Electoral Act to prevent confusion between national and local parties in the future.

Looking ahead, Castiglione warned that problems could grow if PRO becomes a widely recognized name on the national political stage. He argued that parties using “Pro” in their names risk increasingly being linked to the national party.

He believes Pro Zeeland, which will contest the 2027 Provincial Council elections, could be the first to experience the effects. Castiglione also pointed to 2030 as a potential flashpoint, noting that municipal and parliamentary elections are currently expected to be held within a short period of each other, which he says could lead to considerable voter confusion.

“I’m very happy that it is now final and that we can truly start using the name in parliament,” PRO leader Jesse Klaver said on the radio programme Sven op 1. Now that this “obstacle” has been removed, the left-wing politician expects the daily board of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, to send a letter regarding the name change, after which lawmakers will vote on the matter. He is also unconcerned about any potential confusion with the similarly named party in Zeeland. “It will be fine.”

Responding to the decision, a spokesperson for the Electoral Council said the body had “taken note” of the court’s ruling, which confirmed that the application to change the party’s name had been handled correctly.