Editing GroenLinks (section)

===2002–present===
The [[2002 Dutch general election|2002 general election]] was characterised by changes in the political climate. The [[right-wing populism|right-wing populist]] political commentator [[Pim Fortuyn]] entered into politics. He had an anti-establishment message, combined with a call for restrictions on [[human migration|immigration]]. Although his critique was oriented at the [[second Kok cabinet]], Rosenmöller was one of the few politicians who could muster some resistance against his message. Days before the election, [[Assassination of Pim Fortuyn|Fortuyn was assassinated]]. Ab Harrewijn, GroenLinks MP and candidate also died.<ref name="DNPP2002">{{Citation
|last=Lucardie
|first=Paul
|author-link=Paul Lucardie
 |author2=J. Hippe |author3=G. Voerman
|title=Kroniek 2002. Overzicht van de partijpolitieke gebeurtenissen van het jaar 2002
|journal=Jaarboek DNPP
|publisher=DNPP
|location=Groningen
|year=2003
|url=http://www.rug.nl/dnpp/jaarboeken/jaarboek2002/index
|access-date=2008-04-28}}</ref> Before and after the elections serious threats were made against Rosenmöller, his wife and his children. These events caused considerable stress for Rosenmöller.<ref name="Rosenmoller">{{Citation
|last=Rosenmöller
|first=Paul
|author-link=Paul Rosenmöller
|title=Een Mooie Hondenbaan
|publisher=De Balans
|year=2003
|location=Amersfoort
}}</ref> GroenLinks lost one seat in the election, although it had gained more votes than in the 1998 elections. Before the [[2003 Dutch general election|2003 general election]] Rosenmöller left parliament, citing the ongoing threats against his life and those of his family as the main reason. He was replaced as chair of the parliamentary party and top candidate by [[Femke Halsema]]. She was unable to keep ten seats and lost two.<ref name="DNPP2002"/>

In 2003, GroenLinks almost unanimously turned against the [[Iraq War]]. It took part in the [[Protests against the Iraq War|protests against the war]], for instance by organising its [[party congress]] in Amsterdam at the day of the large demonstration, with an interval allowing its members to join the protest.<ref name="DNPP2002"/>

At the end of 2003, Halsema temporarily left parliament to give birth to her [[twins]]. During her absence [[Marijke Vos]] took her place as chair of the parliamentary party.<ref name="DNPP2004">{{Citation
|last=Lucardie
|first=Paul
|author-link=Paul Lucardie
 |author2=J. Hippe |author3=G. Voerman
|title=Kroniek 2004. Overzicht van de partijpolitieke gebeurtenissen van het jaar 2004
|journal=Jaarboek DNPP
|publisher=DNPP
|location=Groningen
|year=2005
|url=http://www.rug.nl/dnpp/jaarboeken/jaarboek2004/index
|access-date=2008-04-28}}</ref> When she returned to parliament, Halsema started a discussion about the [[#Ideology|principles of her party]]. She emphasised individual freedom, [[Toleration|tolerance]], self-realisation and [[emancipation]]. In one interview she called her party "the last liberal party of the Netherlands"<ref>{{citation
|title=De laatste links-liberale partij van Nederland
| newspaper = NRC Handelsblad
|date =11 October 2005
}}</ref> This led to considerable attention of media and other observers, which speculated about an ideological change.<ref name="DNPP2004"/> In 2005 the party's scientific bureau published the book "Vrijheid als Ideaal" ("Freedom as Ideal") in which prominent opinion-makers explored the new political space and the position of the left within that space.<ref name="VID">[[Bart Snels|Snels, B.]] (ed.) (2007). ''Vrijheid als Ideaal.'' Nijmegen: SUN.</ref> During the congress of February 2007 the party board was ordered to organise a party-wide discussion about the party's principles.<ref name="congres2007">{{citation
|last=Doorduyn
|first=Yvonne
|title=Zo afhaken, dat is eens maar nooit weer; Het GroenLinks-congres laat zijn tanden zien, maar bijt niet
| newspaper = De Volkskrant
|date=5 February 2007
}}</ref>

During the European Elections congress of 2004, the candidacy committee proposed that the chair of the GroenLinks delegation, [[Joost Lagendijk]], should become the party's [[lead candidate]] in those elections. A group of members, led by Senator Leo Platvoet submitted a motion "We want to choose". They wanted a serious choice for such an important office. The party's board announced a new electoral procedure. During the congress [[Kathalijne Buitenweg]], an MEP and candidate, announced wish to be considered for the position of top candidate. She narrowly won the elections from Lagendijk. This came as a great surprise to all. Especially for Buitenweg who had not written an acceptance speech and read out Lagendijk's.<ref name="DNPP2004"/>

In May 2005, MP [[Farah Karimi]] wrote a book in which discussed in detail how she had taken part in the [[Iranian Revolution]], because this information was already known by the party board this did not lead to any upheaval.<ref name="Karimi">{{Citation
|last=Karimi
|first=Farah
|author-link=Farah Karimi
|title=Het geheim van het vuur
|publisher=Arena
|year=2005
|location=Amsterdam
}}</ref> In November 2005, the party board asked Senator Sam Pormes to give up his seat. Continuing rumours about his involvement with guerrilla-training in [[Yemen]] in the 1970s and the 1977 train hijacking by [[Maluku Islands|Moluccan]] youth and allegations of [[welfare fraud]] were harmful for the party, or at least so the party board claimed.

When Pormes refused to step down, the party board threatened to expel him. Pormes fought this decision. The party council of March 2006 sided with Pormes. Party chair Herman Meijer felt forced to resign. He was succeeded by Henk Nijhof who was chosen by the party council in May 2006. In November 2006 Pormes left the Senate, he was replaced by [[Goos Minderman]].<ref name="DNPP2006">{{Citation|last=Lucardie |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Lucardie |author2=J. Hippe |author3=R. Kroeze |author4=G. Voerman |title=Kroniek 2006. Overzicht van de partijpolitieke gebeurtenissen van het jaar 2006 |journal=Jaarboek DNPP |publisher=DNPP |location=Groningen |year=2008 |url=http://www.rug.nl/dnpp/jaarboeken/jaarboek2006/index |access-date=2008-04-28 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

[[File:GreenLeft-2006.jpg|thumb|2006 election posters showing Halsema. The text reads: Grow along, GroenLinks. The turret is the official working office of the Dutch Prime Minister.]]

In the [[2006 Dutch municipal elections|2006 Dutch municipal election]], the party stayed relatively stable, losing only a few seats. After the elections GroenLinks took part in 75 local executives, including [[Amsterdam (municipality)|Amsterdam]] where MP [[Marijke Vos]] became an alderwoman.<ref name="DNPP2006"/>

In preparation of the [[2006 Dutch general election|2006 general election]] the party held a congress in October. It elected Halsema, again the only candidate, as the party's top candidate. MEP [[Kathalijne Buitenweg]] and comedian Vincent Bijlo were [[Lijstduwer|last candidates]]. In the 2006 elections the party lost one seat.<ref name="DNPP2006"/>

In the subsequent [[2006-2007 Dutch cabinet formation|cabinet formation]], an initial exploratory round among the [[Christian Democratic Appeal]] (CDA), [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (PvdA) and [[Socialist Party (Netherlands)|Socialist Party]] (SP) failed, Halsema announced that GroenLinks would not be involved in further discussion at that point in time, as the party lost, was too small, and had less in common with CDA than the SP had.<ref name="DNPP2006"/> Following this decision an internal debate about the political course and the leadership of Halsema re-erupted. The debate does not just concern the series of lost elections and the decision not to participate in the formation talks, but also the elitist image of the party, the new [[green liberalism|liberal]] course, initiated by Halsema, and the lack of party democracy. Since the last weeks of January 2007 several prominent party members have voiced their doubts including former leader [[Ina Brouwer]], Senator [[Leo Platvoet]] and MEP [[Joost Lagendijk]].<ref name="congres2007"/> In reaction to this the party board has set up a commission led by former MP and chair of the PPR [[Bram van Ojik]]. They looked into the lost series of elections. In the summer of 2007 another committee was formed to organise a larger debate about the course of the party's principles, organisation and strategy. Van Ojik also led this committee. The committee implemented a motion already adopted by the party's congress in 2006 to re-evaluate the party's principle in light of the party's course started by Halsema in 2004.<ref name="DNPP2006"/> Over the course of 2007 and 2008 the committee organised an internal debate about the party's principles, organisation and strategy. In November 2008 this led to the adoption of a new manifesto of principles.

In August 2008, GroenLinks parliamentarian [[Wijnand Duyvendak]] published a book in which he admitted to a burglary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in order to steal plans for nuclear power plants. This led to his resignation on 14 August, after media reported that the burglary also led to threats against [[Civil service|civil servants]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Inbraak EZ door Duyvendak leidde tot bedreiging |url=http://www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article1955113.ece/Inbraak_EZ_door_Duyvendak_leidde_tot_bedreiging |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919112156/http://www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article1955113.ece/Inbraak_EZ_door_Duyvendak_leidde_tot_bedreiging |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 September 2008 |publisher=NRC Handelsblad |date=14 August 2008 }}</ref><ref name="Duyvendak">{{Citation |title=Duyvendak legt Kamerlidmaatschap neer |url=http://www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article1955403.ece/Duyvendak_legt_Kamerlidmaatschap_neer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915051942/http://www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article1955403.ece/Duyvendak_legt_Kamerlidmaatschap_neer |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 September 2008 |publisher=NRC Handelsblad |date=14 August 2008 }}</ref> He was replaced by [[Jolande Sap]].<ref name="VendrikKlimaat">[http://start.groenlinks.nl/kees-vendrik-wordt-woordvoerder-milieu-klimaat-globalisering Kees Vendrik wordt woordvoerder Milieu, Klimaat & Globalisering] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916121700/http://start.groenlinks.nl/kees-vendrik-wordt-woordvoerder-milieu-klimaat-globalisering |date=2008-09-16 }} op GroenLinks.nl</ref>

In 2008, MEPs [[Joost Lagendijk]] and [[Kathalijne Buitenweg]] announced that they would not seek a new term in the European Parliament. The party had to elect a new [[lead candidate]] for the [[2009 European Parliament election in the Netherlands|2009 European elections]]. There were five candidates for this position: [[Amsterdam]] [[city councillor]] [[Judith Sargentini]], former MEP [[Alexander de Roo]], senator [[Tineke Strik]], environmental researcher [[Bas Eickhout]] and [[Niels van den Berge]] assistant of MEP Buitenweg. In an internal referendum Sargentini was elected. The [[party congress]] put Eickhout on a second position on the list.

On 18 April 2010, the party congress composed the list of candidates for the [[2010 Dutch general election|2010 general election]]. Two sitting MPs [[Ineke van Gent]] and [[Femke Halsema]] were granted dispensation to stand for a fourth term. Halsema was re-elected as party leader. Van Gent was put as fifth on the party list. All of the first five candidates were sitting MPs and four were women. Their other high newcomers were former Greenpeace director [[Liesbeth van Tongeren]] and chairman of [[Christian National Trade Union Federation|CNV]] youth [[Jesse Klaver]]. The party won 10 seats in the election and participated in the formation talks of a Green/[[Purple (government)|Purple government]]. Halsema resigned as party leader when these talks failed and was succeeded by [[Jolande Sap]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.libelle.nl/lifestyle/interview-met-femke-halsema/|title=Interview met Femke Halsema}}</ref>

In the [[2012 Dutch general election|2012 general election]], GroenLinks lost six seats and was left with four out of 150 seats. Following the disappointing result, Sap was forced to resign as party leader and was succeeded by [[Bram van Ojik]], who in turn handed his position to [[Jesse Klaver]] in 2015. Under Klaver's leadership, GroenLinks gradually rose in polls before climbing to an all-time high of 14 seats in the [[2017 Dutch general election|2017 general election]]. The party entered [[2017 Dutch cabinet formation|coalition talks]] with the [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]], the [[Christian Democratic Appeal]] and [[Democrats 66]], but the talks failed after Klaver demanded more refugees to be accepted.<ref>{{Cite news|website=RTL Nieuws|url=https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nederland/politiek/artikel/53791/reconstructie-zo-klapte-de-formatie-met-groenlinks|title=Reconstructie: zo klapte de formatie met GroenLinks|language=nl|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020194225/https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nederland/politiek/artikel/53791/reconstructie-zo-klapte-de-formatie-met-groenlinks|archive-date=October 20, 2021|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref>

GroenLinks lost the [[2021 Dutch general election|2021 general election]], and combined with the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] during the [[2021–2022 Dutch cabinet formation|subsequent government formation]]. There have been discussions about a merger with that party; they participated in the [[2023 Dutch Senate election]] as one.<ref>{{Cite news|publisher=NOS|date=June 11, 2022|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2432277-grote-stap-voor-pvda-groenlinks-verder-samen-in-eerste-kamer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629232319/https://nos.nl/artikel/2432277-grote-stap-voor-pvda-groenlinks-verder-samen-in-eerste-kamer|archive-date=June 29, 2022|title=Grote stap voor PvdA, GroenLinks: verder samen in Eerste Kamer|language=nl}}</ref> GroenLinks and the Labour Party announced in 2023 that they would also participate as one, [[GroenLinks–PvdA]], in the [[2023 Dutch general election|general elections of 2023]], as members of both parties voted in favour of an alliance.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nos.nl/l/2483155 |title=PvdA en GroenLinks met één lijst de verkiezingen in, leden stemmen massaal voor |website=NOS |date=17 July 2023 |access-date=12 September 2023 |language=nl}}</ref>