Longserving Dutch liberal MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld announced Friday she quit her national party Democrats 66 in frustration at its stance on Europe and joined the pan-EU federalist party Volt.
In a post online, in ‘t Veld, who has been an MEP since 2004, accused D66 of having an increasingly narrow focus on Dutch domestic politics at the expense of EU politics and took a swipe at the party for failing to root out “transgressive behavior” in its ranks.
“Volt’s social-liberal, progressive, radically pro-European vision fits seamlessly with the vision I have,” wrote in ‘t Veld who has fought hard against the use of illegal spyware by EU governments, been critical of Hungary’s leader Viktor Orbán, and advocated a stronger role for the European Parliament against the European Commission and Council of the EU.
Volt has two MPs in the Dutch parliament, one in Bulgaria and one MEP in Europe — the German lawmaker Damian Boeselager — who described himself as “happy” with the news. Boeselager sits as an independent with the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament.
Despite switching parties, in ‘t Veld will not become a Volt MEP nor will she be eligible to stand as a Volt candidate in the 2024 elections, Volt Europa’s PR manager Roza Ismailai said. That is because Dutch rules for being a candidate in the EU elections mean she needed to have already been a member of Volt before February 18.
A spokesperson for the Renew grouping in the Parliament, which in ‘t Veld once aspired to lead, said: “We assume that she will stay in the group.”
Local media reported Friday that her national party D66 had announced it was looking to rejuvenate its ranks ahead of the 2024 elections. One member, Salima Belhaj, who sits in the Dutch parliament, has indicated she’s interested in leading the list for the upcoming campaign.