The European Green Party wishes its member party GroenLinks every success in the upcoming national elections in the Netherlands. "Tomorrow the Dutch citizens will decide on the future of their country: a future towards conservatism, more polarisation and climate inaction, or towards a progressive, social and just climate transition," say EGP co-chairs Thomas Waitz and Mélanie Vogel.
The Dutch Green party GroenLinks is running in the GroenLinks-PvdA alliance, led by former European Commissioner Frans Timmermans and Tilburg deputy mayor and alderwoman of Tilburg, Esmah Lahlah, known for her policies to lift people out of poverty. GroenLinks-PvdA plans to restore the foundations of Dutch society and build a sustainable future through a just transition.
Recent polls suggest that the race will be very close. The far-right PVV (affiliated to ID on the European level), the conservative-liberal VVD (ALDE), the new centre-right party Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC), and the progressive alliance of GroenLinks and PvdA are all vying for the largest number of votes.
NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt is campaigning mainly on a 'new culture of government', but has nevertheless said that a right-wing minority government of NSC, VVD, CDA, the theocratic SGP and the far-right JA21 would be a “real option” for him. Similarly, VDD leading candidate Dilan Yeşilgöz did not exclude a government coalition with Geert Wilders’ far-right PVV (ID).
European Green Party co-chairs Thomas Waitz and Mélanie Vogel comment: "Such conservative, right-wing and far-right government coalitions would put the Dutch society in reverse gear. The same threat was present in this year's elections in Poland and Spain. But concerned and engaged citizens turned out in large numbers and brought progressive and green coalitions to victory."
GroenLinks-PvdA is running a positive, Green, social and pro-European campaign. The alliance wants to achieve the climate targets and to govern on the basis of trust, after decades of conservative-liberal Rutte (VVD/ALDE) governments that showed distrust towards the Dutch citizens, as the child benefit scandal showed. To restore the foundations of Dutch society and build a sustainable future through a just transition, GroenLinks-PvdA plans an insulation offensive, better public transport, a climate ticket, an end to fossil fuel subsidies, affordable housing and an increase of the minimum wage.
“The contending parties are very close to each other in the polls. This means that anything can happen. It also means that every single vote, from every individual Dutch citizen, can make a huge difference. So please make a plan to go to the polls tomorrow”, the European Greens co-chairs Waitz and Vogel conclude.
