Bas Eickhout
Bas Eickhout’s resignation will now open a dispute over his succession to the Greens, with MEPs from Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries in the forefront.
Bas Eickhoutco-president of the Greens group in the European Parliament, resigned as an MEP after admitting to having maintained relationships that he considered inappropriate for his role.
The Dutch politician announced his immediate departure on Wednesday. In a public statement, Eickhout acknowledged that “had relationships that did not fit” in his position and admitted that he “should not have done it”.
The resignation comes after reports that Eickhout had informed party colleagues about a relationship with Lena Schillinga 25-year-old Austrian MEP and the youngest MEP in the European Parliament. However, Eickhout denied that the dismissal was directly linked to this relationship, according to statements made by a spokesperson to .
Eickhout’s Dutch political party, PRO, said the decision was partly related to his failure to disclose previous relationships in the workplace. The party emphasized that maintaining “a professional and transparent working environment” is fundamental to its code of conduct. The PRO is being formed by the merger of the Dutch Green-Left Party and the Social Democrats.
The Green group in the European Parliament said it respected and understood Eickhout’s decision and stressed that allegations involving violations of internal rules of conduct are treated seriously. In a statement, the group stated that it maintained its commitment to promoting “a culture of respect, trust and transparency in the workplace.”
Eickhout, 49, has been a member of the European Parliament since 2009 and became one of the most influential green politicians of Europe in the last decade. He was the European Green Party’s main candidate in the 2024 European elections and became co-chair of the Greens group after the vote.
In his resignation letter, Eickhout also mentioned the political and personal exhaustion before the mid-term parliamentary reshufflescheduled for January 2027, when it is expected that there will be changes in the main leadership positions within the parliamentary groups.
“I thought a lot about whether I want to continue after the midterm elections and I came to the conclusion that I no longer have the energy for this”, these.
His departure is likely to trigger a leadership dispute within the Greens group, with parliamentarians from the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe likely seeking greater influence following the gains made in the 2024 elections.
