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GroenLinks ('''GL''', Green Political Party . =Party History= FOUNDATION GroenLinks was founded on March 1 , 1989 as a merger of the Politieke Partij Radicalen (Radical Political Party, founded 1968 ), the Pacifistisch Socialistische Partij (Pacifist Socialist Party, founded 1958 ), the Communistische Partij Nederland (Communist Party of the Netherlands, founded 1909 ) and the Evangelische Volkspartij (Evangelical People's Party, founded 1981 ). Only the first three had participated actively in the merger-talks, the EVP joined only after the talks had been concluded. Before 1989 the parties were grouped under the nominator 'small left'. In local and European elections, with fewer seats on offer, the parties had already worked together — in the European Elections Of 1984 as the Rainbow Alliance. Common campaigns against Nuclear Weapons and Energy further strengthened the willingness of the parties to cooperate. The disastrous Elections Of 1986 forced the parties cooperate. In 1989 they presented a combined candidate list, and in 1991 the four parties officially ceased to exist. HISTORY In the 1989 Elections the party only won six seats. In its first period in parliament, GroenLinks was unable to provide good opposition to the Third Cabinet Of Lubbers . In the 1994 Elections , GreenLeft was unable to profit from the loss of a considerable number of seats by the major left-wing Labour Party . In fact, the party lost one of its seats, retaining a meager 5 seats. In 1994 Paul Rosenmöller was elected party leader. Under him, GroenLinks became the major voice of the opposition against both Cabinets Of Kok , although the CDA was the largest opposition party. In 1998 Elections the party won twelve seats in parliament. The party began to openly speculate about participation in the next government coalition. In 2001 the parliamentary party supported the War in Afghanistan. This led to major upheaval within the party. After some time, the parliamentary party changed its position. In the 2002 Elections , however, Fortuyn became a major player. Against Fortuyn's Right-wing Populism , Rosenmöller was a major opponent. Fortuyn was shot. The dutch political climate became harder. Threats were made against Rosenmöller's life. GroenLinks fell back to ten seats. Rosenmöller left politics, and Femke Halsema became the next party leader. In the 2003 Elections Halsema lost two seats, leaving only eight seats. In 2004 Halsema claimed the party was a leftwing- Liberal party, stressing multiculturalism as one of GroenLinks' core values. =Ideology & Issues= The core ideals of GroenLinks are announced that she saw her own party as a leftist liberal party. Some of the party's most important policies:
=Representation= LEADERSHIP Leader of the Lower House faction : 2003 - now Femke Halsema : 1994 - 2003 Paul Rosenmöller : 1993 - 1994 Peter Lankhorst : 1989 - 1993 Ria Beckers -de Bruijn Lijsttrekker :2003: Femke Halsema :2002: Paul Rosenmöller :1998: Paul Rosenmöller :1994: Ina Brouwer and Mohammed Rabbae :1991: Ria Beckers MEMBERS OF THE LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT Development of the number of seats in the Lower House, of the 150 available: : 1972 - 16 (7 PPR, 7 CPN, 2 PSP) : 1977 - 6 (3 PPR, 2 CPN, 1 PSP) : 1981 - 9 (3 PPR, 3 CPN, 3 PSP) : 1982 - 9 (2 PPR, 3 CPN, 3 PSP, 1 EVP) : 1986 - 3 (2 PPR, 1 PSP) : 1991 - 6 (GL) : 1994 - 5 : 1998 - 11 : 2002 - 10 : 2003 - 8 After the 2003 elections the party has eight representatives in the Lower House Of Parliament : # Drs. F. (Femke) Halsema , chairperson of the parliamentary party # Ir. M.B. (Marijke) Vos , vice-chairperson of the parliamentary party #N. (Naïma) Azough #A.J.W. (Wijnand) Duyvendak #W. (Ineke) van Gent #Dr. P.L.M. (Paul) Jungbluth #Drs. F. (Farah) Karimi #Drs. C.C.M. (Kees) Vendrik MEMBERS OF THE UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT Development of the number of seats in the Upper House, of the 75 available: : 1991 - 4 : 1995 - 4 : 1999 - 8 : 2003 - 5 After the 2003 elections the party has five representatives in the Lower House Of Parliament : #Mr. D.J.B. (Diana) de Wolff, chairperson of the parliamentary party #Drs. L.H.G. (Leo) Platvoet, vice-chairperson of the parliamentary party #Drs. J.J.M. (Jos) van der Lans #S.R. (Sam) Pormes #Ch. P. (Tof) Thissen MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Development of the number of seats in the Higher House, of the between 600 to 700 available: : 1989 - 2 : 1994 - 1 : 1999 - 4 : 2004 - 2 GroenLinks MEPs are part of the Greens/EFA . After the 2004 European Parliament Elections the party has two representatives in the European Parliament : # Drs. K.M. Buitenweg , and # Drs. J.J. Lagendijk Together with # Bart Staes from the Belgian party Groen! , they form one transnational delegation. LOCAL & PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT GroenLinks provides one Queen's Commissioner (out of 12) in North Holland , and 7 mayors (out of 414). Dutch mayors and Queen's Commissioners are appointed by the Minister Of The Interior . GroenLinks is part of the North Holland Gedeputeerde Staten . GroenLinks is part of several ''Colleges of Aldermen & Mayors'' (municipal government), notably Nijmegen , Utrecht and Leiden . =Electorate= The electorate of the GreenLeft is dominantly Urban , and Well-educated . More women then men vote GroenLinks. The party scores best in cities with universities, as it is popular among students. The Generation Of '68 is also well represented. Most of its voters have a Post-materialist orientation. =Organization= ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE The highest organ of GroenLinks is the party congress, open to all members. The congress elects the party-board, it decides on the order of the candidates for national and european elections and it has a final say over the party program. The congress convenes every year, in spring. The party board consists out of twelve members who are elected for a three year term. The chairperson of this board is the only paid position on the board, the others are unpaid volunteers. For the months that the congress does not convene, a Party Council takes over its role. It consists out of delegates of all the 250 municipal branches. In November 2005 Sam Pormes (member of the Higher House of parliament) whas asked to resign because of the ongoing rumors about him receiving a guerilla training in Yemen during the 1970s and for being envolved in the hijacking of a dutch passenger train by Moluccan militants. Sam Pormes also holds a criminal record for fraud. Sam Pormes refused to resign and fought against his suspension from the party with success. The Party Council voted in favour of his appeal forcing chairperson Herman Meijer to resign. With Nevin Özetuk, the party's vice-chairperson entering parliament, to fill the spot left by Marijke Vos , the party currently lacks both a chairperson and a vice-chairperson. LINKED ORGANISATIONS The independent youth wing is called DWARS (Dutch for "contrary"), the GreenLeft Youth. GroenLinks publishes the GroenLinks Magazine monthly. The scientific buro publishes "de Helling" (Dutch for "the Slope"). INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS GroenLinks is a founding member of the European Green Party , and the European Federation Of Green Parties . Furthermore it is a member of the Global Greens . RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PARTIES GroenLinks was founded to become a mid-sized party to the left of the PvdA. In the 1994 elections however the Socialist Party also entered parliament. It became clear that the SP was more radical on the classical issues of the left. This made the GreenLeft the centre party of the dutch Left. This position is examplified by the call of Femke Halsema to form a leftwing coalition after the 2007 elections, knowing that such a coalition is only possible with GroenLinks. But also the Lijstverbinding between SP and GL in the 1998 and 2002 elections, and between GL and PvdA in the 2004 european elections are examples of this position. =International Comparison= Internationally GroenLinks is comparable to the larger European Green parties, most of which have already been in government, like the German Alliance '90/The Greens . They are more realist and less Green than the American and English And Welsh green parties, but also many cases more leftwing and internationalist. =Links=
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