Dutch party PRO to launch Bonaire branch on 28 October

Dutch political party Progressief Nederland, known as PRO, plans to formally present a Bonaire branch on Wednesday 28 October. Kenville Kleinmoedig, the party’s international secretary and a member of its national executive board, said the branch will initially act as a contact point for residents and organisations, support PRO representatives and help coordinate activities on Bonaire.

The presentation is planned under the theme “Europe and the Importance of Bonaire.” Members of the European Parliament Marit Maij and Mohammed Chahim are scheduled to take part as guest speakers. PRO has not committed to contesting Bonaire’s March 2027 Island Council election.

PRO holds 20 of the 150 seats in the Tweede Kamer, the Netherlands’ House of Representatives, and 14 seats in the 75-member Eerste Kamer, or Senate. Its faction in the Tweede Kamer is led by Jesse Klaver.

The party was formally established on 13 June 2026 through the merger of GroenLinks and the Labour Party, PvdA. The two parties had run jointly in the Dutch parliamentary elections of 2023 and 2025.

Paul Ruijs, one of the organisers of the Bonaire initiative, said the 28 October gathering is expected to address Bonaire’s relationship with Europe and the effective use of European funding for the island.