The Greens (Netherlands)
Encyclopedia
The Greens are a Dutch deep green
party, which has been of only marginal importance in Dutch politics, as it has never gained national representation on its own.
within the PPR. Before the European election of 1984 the Green Platform (under the name "Green Party of the Netherlands
(GPN)" formed a common list
with the PPR and the leftwing Communist Party of the Netherlands
(CPN) and Pacifist Socialist Party
(PSP) under the name "Green Progressive Accord
".
A group, led by Marten Bierman founded the Greens on December 17, 1983. They entered the European elections under the name "European Greens". The party's foundation was supported by the Francophone
Belgian green party Ecolo
, while the (more powerful) German Greens supported the Green Progressive Accord
. The party became involved in the formation of the Coordination of European Green Parties
. It won only 1.3% of vote in the 1984 European parliament election
, not enough for a seat in the European Parliament. The Green Progressive Accord
joined the Green Radical Alternative European Link in the European Parliament, by passing the Greens to international cooperation.
Gradually the party began to attract more former members of the Radicals, such as (former Provo) Roel van Duijn
who joined the party in 1985. Van Duijn who had been on the European list of the Green Progressive Accord
in 1984, became involved in municipal Amsterdam
politics. He founded "Green Amsterdam" and successfully contested the 1986 municipal elections. For the 1986 national elections
the organisation of the Greens was renewed. It renamed itself "Federative Greens" and organised a Green Council, representing municipal Green parties. The party had a strong federal
structure and only municipal and provincial parties could join the party. The party was oriented towards dissatisfied centrist
voters such as progressive Christians and former Democrats 66 voters. It won only 0.2% of the votes, not enough for a seat. In 1987 the Greens participated in the North Holland
, South Holland
and Gelderland
provincial
elections. They won one seat on North Holland Provincial council, partially because of the support of "Green Amsterdam". On March 10, 1989 after a fusion process of two years "Green Amsterdam" and the "Federative Greens" merged to form the "Greens".
In 1989 the GreenLeft
was formed by PPR, PSP, CPN and the Christian left
Evangelical People's Party. The Greens rejected the formation of this party because it emphasises social-economic issues too much and environmental issues too little. Independently, they participated in the 1989 elections
with Roel van Duijn
as their top candidate
. The party won only 0.35% of votes and no seats. GreenLeft formally joined the Coordination of European Green Parties. In reaction to bad electoral results in 1990 and 1991 the party abandoned its federal structure in 1992. This led to considerable upheaval within the party.
For the Dutch general election of 1994
, GreenLeft proposed a candidate chosen by the Greens place 10 on their list, but this was rejected by the Green's Congress. The party entered the election alone and won only 0.2% of vote. In the 1994 municipal elections the party expanded its seats and won seats in Leiden, Nijmegen, Zwolle
and Amsterdam
. In 1991 GreenLeft
MEP
Herman Verbeek left his party and continued as an independent. He became a member of the Greens in 1994 and led their European list in the European Parliament election
. The party won only 2.36% of vote, not enough for a seat.
In 1995 the party contested several provincial elections. It won seats in North Holland and South Holland
(on a combined GreenLeft/The Greens list). The party cooperated with several provincial parties to form a common list for the indirect elections for the Senate by the Provincial Councils. The first seat was taken by the "Federation of Frisian Municipal-interest Parties" and the second by Green-founder Marten Bierman. Bierman was elected by preference votes. He formed a separate Independent Senate Fraction
, a first in Dutch politics, because before no party had previously had representation in the Senate without also being present in the House of Representatives. In the 1998 elections
the party ran its own unsuccessful campaign and it won only .2% of the votes. The party did keep its seats in municipal councils and expanded to Haarlem
, Zeist
, Arnhem
, Groningen and Haren
. In reaction to the 1998 election defeat the party decided to abandon national politics and focus on the municipal level.
In the 2002
, many prominent Greens cooperated in Liveable Netherlands, a new political formation based on municipal parties, which campaigned on an anti-establishment ticket hoping to improve the liveability of cities, in the social, economical, safety and environmental senses. When Pim Fortuyn
, a rightwing populist, was elected as their top candidate
, many of their members left Leefbaar Nederland to found Durable Netherlands, which combined liveability with durability and diversity. It was unable to gain any representation in 2002 and Dutch general election of 2003
elections. In 2003 the Frisian National Party
claimed the seat in the Senate, as the Greens had lost all their provincial representation. In 2006 the party lost all its seats on municipal councils (even in Amsterdam where it was traditionally very strong) except for Zwolle
where it ran on a combined GreenLeft/Greens list. It still has some seats on district councils
in Amsterdam. The Greens participated in the European elections of 2009
, received 0.2% of the vote and no seats.
and emphasizes its anti-militarism.
* : For Green Amsterdam (not a part of the Greens until 1991)
** : For the Independent Senate Fraction
, also representing other provincial parties.
to a centralised organization with the change of statutes in 1991, effected in 1994.
anti-militaristic. For example The Greens sued the Dutch government in 2001 for taking part in operation Enduring Freedom, while GreenLeft is supporting in 2011 the continuing presence of Dutch military in Afghanistan. Furthermore The Greens focus on introduction of a basic income
which is rejected by GreenLeft.
Deep ecology
Deep ecology is a contemporary ecological philosophy that recognizes an inherent worth of all living beings, regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs. The philosophy emphasizes the interdependence of organisms within ecosystems and that of ecosystems with each other within the...
party, which has been of only marginal importance in Dutch politics, as it has never gained national representation on its own.
History
In 1983 members of the Green Platform, an alliance of the Political Party of Radicals (PPR) and municipal green parties, became dissatisfied with the future of Green politicsGreen politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
within the PPR. Before the European election of 1984 the Green Platform (under the name "Green Party of the Netherlands
Green Party of the Netherlands
The Green Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch political party. It only existed on paper. The goal of the founders was to preempt the formation of another party calling itself "green"...
(GPN)" formed a common list
Electoral list
An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election to a post, usually in proportional election systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party or can constitute a group of independent candidates...
with the PPR and the leftwing Communist Party of the Netherlands
Communist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
(CPN) and Pacifist Socialist Party
Pacifist Socialist Party
The Pacifist Socialist Party was a Dutch left-socialist political party. The PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is a predecessor of the GreenLeft.-Before 1957:...
(PSP) under the name "Green Progressive Accord
Green Progressive Accord
The Green Progressive Accord was an alliance of Dutch political parties: Political Party of Radicals , Pacifist Socialist Party , Communist Party of the Netherlands and Green Party of the Netherlands ....
".
A group, led by Marten Bierman founded the Greens on December 17, 1983. They entered the European elections under the name "European Greens". The party's foundation was supported by the Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
Belgian green party Ecolo
Ecolo
Ecolo is a French-speaking Belgian green political party in Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
, while the (more powerful) German Greens supported the Green Progressive Accord
Green Progressive Accord
The Green Progressive Accord was an alliance of Dutch political parties: Political Party of Radicals , Pacifist Socialist Party , Communist Party of the Netherlands and Green Party of the Netherlands ....
. The party became involved in the formation of the Coordination of European Green Parties
European Green Party
The European Green Party is the Green political party at European level. As such it is a federation of green parties in Europe.-History:...
. It won only 1.3% of vote in the 1984 European parliament election
European Parliament election, 1984 (Netherlands)
The European Parliament election of 1984 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1984-1989 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1984 European election. It was held on on June 14, 1984...
, not enough for a seat in the European Parliament. The Green Progressive Accord
Green Progressive Accord
The Green Progressive Accord was an alliance of Dutch political parties: Political Party of Radicals , Pacifist Socialist Party , Communist Party of the Netherlands and Green Party of the Netherlands ....
joined the Green Radical Alternative European Link in the European Parliament, by passing the Greens to international cooperation.
Gradually the party began to attract more former members of the Radicals, such as (former Provo) Roel van Duijn
Roel van Duijn
Roeland Gerrit Hugo van Duijn is a Dutch politician, political activist and writer. He was a founder of Provo and the Kabouterbeweging. He was alderman for the Political Party of Radicals and currently is wardcouncillor for the GreenLeft.-Biography:Van Duijn was born into an anthroposophical...
who joined the party in 1985. Van Duijn who had been on the European list of the Green Progressive Accord
Green Progressive Accord
The Green Progressive Accord was an alliance of Dutch political parties: Political Party of Radicals , Pacifist Socialist Party , Communist Party of the Netherlands and Green Party of the Netherlands ....
in 1984, became involved in municipal Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
politics. He founded "Green Amsterdam" and successfully contested the 1986 municipal elections. For the 1986 national elections
Dutch general election, 1986
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 21, 1986.-National summary:...
the organisation of the Greens was renewed. It renamed itself "Federative Greens" and organised a Green Council, representing municipal Green parties. The party had a strong federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
structure and only municipal and provincial parties could join the party. The party was oriented towards dissatisfied centrist
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
voters such as progressive Christians and former Democrats 66 voters. It won only 0.2% of the votes, not enough for a seat. In 1987 the Greens participated in the North Holland
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
, South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
and Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
provincial
Provinces of the Netherlands
A Dutch province represents the administrative layer in between the national government and the local municipalities, having the responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance. The government of each province consists of three major parts: the Provinciale Staten which is the...
elections. They won one seat on North Holland Provincial council, partially because of the support of "Green Amsterdam". On March 10, 1989 after a fusion process of two years "Green Amsterdam" and the "Federative Greens" merged to form the "Greens".
In 1989 the GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
was formed by PPR, PSP, CPN and the Christian left
Christian left
The Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
Evangelical People's Party. The Greens rejected the formation of this party because it emphasises social-economic issues too much and environmental issues too little. Independently, they participated in the 1989 elections
Dutch general election, 1989
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:...
with Roel van Duijn
Roel van Duijn
Roeland Gerrit Hugo van Duijn is a Dutch politician, political activist and writer. He was a founder of Provo and the Kabouterbeweging. He was alderman for the Political Party of Radicals and currently is wardcouncillor for the GreenLeft.-Biography:Van Duijn was born into an anthroposophical...
as their top candidate
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
. The party won only 0.35% of votes and no seats. GreenLeft formally joined the Coordination of European Green Parties. In reaction to bad electoral results in 1990 and 1991 the party abandoned its federal structure in 1992. This led to considerable upheaval within the party.
For the Dutch general election of 1994
Dutch general election, 1994
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 3, 1994.-Results:...
, GreenLeft proposed a candidate chosen by the Greens place 10 on their list, but this was rejected by the Green's Congress. The party entered the election alone and won only 0.2% of vote. In the 1994 municipal elections the party expanded its seats and won seats in Leiden, Nijmegen, Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. In 1991 GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
Herman Verbeek left his party and continued as an independent. He became a member of the Greens in 1994 and led their European list in the European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 1994 (Netherlands)
The European Parliament election of 1994 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1994-1999 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1994 European election. It was held on on June 9, 1994....
. The party won only 2.36% of vote, not enough for a seat.
In 1995 the party contested several provincial elections. It won seats in North Holland and South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
(on a combined GreenLeft/The Greens list). The party cooperated with several provincial parties to form a common list for the indirect elections for the Senate by the Provincial Councils. The first seat was taken by the "Federation of Frisian Municipal-interest Parties" and the second by Green-founder Marten Bierman. Bierman was elected by preference votes. He formed a separate Independent Senate Fraction
Independent Senate Fraction
The Independent Senate Group is a parliamentary party in the Dutch Senate with one senator, representing several provincial parties. The Dutch Senate is elected by the legislatures of the provinces. In 1995, several provincial parties and the Greens proposed their own list. Marten Bierman, who...
, a first in Dutch politics, because before no party had previously had representation in the Senate without also being present in the House of Representatives. In the 1998 elections
Dutch general election, 1998
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:...
the party ran its own unsuccessful campaign and it won only .2% of the votes. The party did keep its seats in municipal councils and expanded to Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, Zeist
Zeist
Zeist is a municipality and a town in the central Netherlands, located east of the city of Utrecht.-Population centres :*Austerlitz*Bosch en Duin*Den Dolder*Huis ter Heide*Zeist- The town of Zeist :...
, Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, Groningen and Haren
Haren
- Places :* Haren, Groningen, Netherlands* Haren, North Brabant, Netherlands* Haren, Belgium, Brussels, Belgium* Haren, Germany, Lower Saxony, Germany...
. In reaction to the 1998 election defeat the party decided to abandon national politics and focus on the municipal level.
In the 2002
Dutch general election, 2002
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002....
, many prominent Greens cooperated in Liveable Netherlands, a new political formation based on municipal parties, which campaigned on an anti-establishment ticket hoping to improve the liveability of cities, in the social, economical, safety and environmental senses. When Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
, a rightwing populist, was elected as their top candidate
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
, many of their members left Leefbaar Nederland to found Durable Netherlands, which combined liveability with durability and diversity. It was unable to gain any representation in 2002 and Dutch general election of 2003
Dutch general election, 2003
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on January 22, 2003.-Background:...
elections. In 2003 the Frisian National Party
Frisian National Party
The Frisian National Party is a Frisian nationalist political party in the Netherlands. The FNP is mostly involved in Frisian politics...
claimed the seat in the Senate, as the Greens had lost all their provincial representation. In 2006 the party lost all its seats on municipal councils (even in Amsterdam where it was traditionally very strong) except for Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
where it ran on a combined GreenLeft/Greens list. It still has some seats on district councils
Stadsdeel
A stadsdeel is the name used for city districts in some of the larger municipalities of the Netherlands.Amsterdam calls 7 of its 8 deelgemeenten stadsdeel...
in Amsterdam. The Greens participated in the European elections of 2009
European Parliament election, 2009 (Netherlands)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in the Netherlands was the election of the delegation from the Netherlands to the European Parliament in 2009 and took place on June 4, 2009. Seventeen parties competed in a D'Hondt type election for 25 seats...
, received 0.2% of the vote and no seats.
Ideology
The Greens is an ecologist party. It advocates a basic incomeBasic income
A basic income guarantee is a proposed system of social security, that regularly provides each citizen with a sum of money. In contrast to income redistribution between nations themselves, the phrase basic income defines payments to individuals rather than households, groups, or nations, in order...
and emphasizes its anti-militarism.
Representation
This table shows the Greens' results at elections to the House of Representatives, Senate, European Parliament, States-Provincial and municipalities.| Year | HoR | S | EP European Parliament The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... |
SP States-Provincial The States'-Provincial is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each of the Provinces of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of sub-national or regional importance... |
M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 Dutch general election, 1986 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 21, 1986.-National summary:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1* |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1* |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1* |
| 1989 Dutch general election, 1989 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1* |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1994 Dutch general election, 1994 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 3, 1994.-Results:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1995 | 0 | 1** | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 1996 | 0 | 1** | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 1997 | 0 | 1** | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 1998 Dutch general election, 1998 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:... |
0 | 1** | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 1998 | 0 | 1** | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 1999 | 0 | 1** | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 2000 | 0 | 1** | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 2002 Dutch general election, 2002 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002.... |
0 | 1** | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 2003 Dutch general election, 2003 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on January 22, 2003.-Background:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2006 Dutch general election, 2006 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Independent Senate Fraction
The Independent Senate Group is a parliamentary party in the Dutch Senate with one senator, representing several provincial parties. The Dutch Senate is elected by the legislatures of the provinces. In 1995, several provincial parties and the Greens proposed their own list. Marten Bierman, who...
, also representing other provincial parties.
Electorate
Because the electorate of the party is small it is hard to identify sociological characteristics of their voters. The electorate of the party is concentrated in Amsterdam, where the party has the strongest municipal chapter.Organisation
The Greens changed their structure from a federalFederation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
to a centralised organization with the change of statutes in 1991, effected in 1994.
Comparison between The Greens and GreenLeft
The Greens are compared to GreenLeftGreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
anti-militaristic. For example The Greens sued the Dutch government in 2001 for taking part in operation Enduring Freedom, while GreenLeft is supporting in 2011 the continuing presence of Dutch military in Afghanistan. Furthermore The Greens focus on introduction of a basic income
Basic income
A basic income guarantee is a proposed system of social security, that regularly provides each citizen with a sum of money. In contrast to income redistribution between nations themselves, the phrase basic income defines payments to individuals rather than households, groups, or nations, in order...
which is rejected by GreenLeft.
See also
- Green party
- Green politicsGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
- List of environmental organizations