Dutch opposition party votes to join European Socialist family

The largest opposition party in the Netherlands has chosen to join the European Socialists rather than the Greens in an internal vote, the results of which were announced Friday. Some 65% of votes cast by members of Progressive Netherlands (PRO), which was formed earlier this year when the Dutch GreenLeft (GroenLinks) and Labour (PvdA) parties merged, backed joining the Party of European Socialists instead of the European Green Party. Before voting began, an advisory committee to the party recommended joining the PES, arguing that membership would give the party greater influence at the European level.