Today at 7:50 PM • Modified today at 8:33 PM
When the new call sign of GroenLinks-PvdA, PRO, was announced on Thursday, it caused groans in Brabant. There are already parties at municipal level that also have PRO in their name.
PRO Eindhoven, which has existed since 2023, objects to the new name. They became particularly irritated in Eindhoven because the local former GroenLinks-PvdA used almost the same name for their Instagram account. “This causes immediate confusion among voters,” said PRO Eindhoven.
What they also find annoying in Eindhoven is that PRO Eindhoven has a different signature than the former GroenLinks-PvdA. In Eindhoven they have no plans to change their name. They receive support from the Electoral Council, which is responsible for the names of political parties.
“I understand that some people are grumpy about it.”
In general terms, the Electoral Council says that ‘local designations or names take precedence over national ones’. The full name Progressive Netherlands will probably appear on the next municipal electoral list in Eindhoven.
A spokesperson for the national PRO, the former GroenLinks-PvdA, elaborates de Volkskrant know that the party has indeed conducted research before announcing the new name.
PRO had about forty local parties with the word ‘pro’ or ‘progressive’ in the name. “I understand that some are grumpy about it, we will be talking to those parties in the near future.”
“It turns out that PRO is a great name.”
In Maasthorst, there has been a local political party in Maasthorst since Uden and Landerd were merged: GroenLinks-PvdA-D66-PRO Maashorst. In the past elections, this party doubled its seats from two to four. “It turns out that PRO is a great name,” says party leader Cock de Jong, laughing Brabants Dagblad. He was one of the founders of PRO Maashorst.
De Jong is more flexible in coming up with a new party name than his Eindhoven colleague. In the BD he says that things broke out on Thursday in his party’s group app. “The most frequently mentioned names are PRO-D66 or D66-PRO. But we can also choose to come up with something completely different. To be continued.”
