The co-chair of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, Dutch politician Bas Eickhout, announced his resignation on Wednesday evening.
Eickhout announced his resignation on Bluesky, stating: “After much deliberation, I have decided today to resign as MEP for PRO and as co-chair of the European Green group.”
Eickhout was first elected to the European Parliament in 2009 and became a prominent voice on ecological issues. He shared the co-chair role with Germany’s Terry Reintke in the Greens/EFA group, which includes Groen and Ecolo.
He described his resignation as part of a “new phase and a new era,” coinciding with the merger of his party, GroenLinks, and the Dutch labour party, PvdA, into the newly formed Progressive Netherlands (PRO) party.
“This party deserves representatives who can dedicate themselves fully to this cause,” Eickhout wrote.
Additionally, he acknowledged past misconduct. “I have had relationships that were not appropriate for my role," Eickhout admitted. "I should not have done this, and I take responsibility for it.”
He explained that this reflection, along with the upcoming transition of the party, motivated his decision to step down.
Multiple news outlets recently reported that Eickhout had disclosed a relationship with Austrian Green MEP Lena Schilling. The relationship reportedly violates the Greens/EFA group’s code of conduct.
