For almost two decades, Bas Eickhout was the absolute master of the European green agenda, a politician of enormous influence, who went head-to-head with Ursula von der Leyen and led the historic European Green Deal.
His fall, however, was just as impressive as his rise. Within minutes, during a regular meeting in Strasbourg, the revelation of secret workplace relationships and a breach of internal ethics rules shattered a 17-year career, leaving the Green political group in a state of complete shock.
The charged departure
According to two people with knowledge of what happened in the room, Eickhout made a statement, which he later posted on social media. “In the past, I didn’t always do the right thing. I had relationships that were not suitable for my role. I shouldn’t have done that and I take responsibility.”
The hall fell into silence. Eickhout, who was visibly moved as he spoke, then left the room. Many were confused and some burst into tears. However, there were no farewells, thanks or applause for his 17 years of service to a political family of more than 50 MEPs. A meeting was convened between the party leadership and staff on Thursday morning to discuss the matter further.
The strict rules
POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook reported last week that Eickhout, 49, had revealed to party colleagues that he was having an affair with 25-year-old Lena Schilling, the youngest member of Parliament. The resignation “has nothing to do with the relationship with Lena,” Eickhout told POLITICO through a spokesman.
The Progressive Netherlands party (known as PRO), into which Eickhout’s Green-Left party is in the final stages of merging, issued a statement implying that there were other cases. “He made this decision in part because he had not disclosed past relationships in the workplace.”
These relationship rules were introduced in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against German MEP Malte Gallée in March 2024. Gallée denied the allegations but resigned from his post.
The rise in the hierarchy
Eickhout was first elected as an MEP in 2009, but rose to prominence during the 2019-2024 term, leading the Greens’ work on the Green Deal legislative package. In particular, he pushed for stricter rules on car emissions and a ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines by 2035.
He also represented the group at the UN Climate Conferences (COP) on several occasions. When it came time to choose the top candidate (Spitzenkandidat) for the 2024 European elections, the Greens chose Eickhout, pitting him against Ursula von der Leyen in televised debates.
However, the Greens recorded disastrous results in the election, losing a quarter of their MEPs and seeing their influence decline dramatically as right-wing forces gained more ground in Parliament.
Appointed co-chairman of the group after the election, Eickhout took on the task of reuniting a fractured political family and dealing with a new political landscape dominated by the right.
Many iconic green laws from the previous term – including Eickhout’s own internal combustion engine ban – are now expected to be reopened and watered down. One after another, Eickhout and the Greens saw their ideas watered down or rejected. “I no longer have the energy for it,” he said in his statement.
Meanwhile, in The Hague, the merger of the Green-Left party with the Social Democrats to create PRO could signal a departure from the green movement. At a conference in mid-June, the PRO will begin the process of deciding whether to join the European Socialists or the European Greens.
“With the creation of PRO, a new era begins. This party deserves representatives who can devote themselves to it with full energy,” Eickhout said in his farewell address. “During PRO’s Europa Festival on May 9, I saw how much energy, optimism and fighting spirit there is within the party. I saw a movement that looks ahead and overflows with ambition for the future. At the same time, I realized that after 17 years, I can no longer offer the same energy in the same way,” he concluded.
