Greens leader resigns from European Parliament after being accused of having an affair with an MEP 24 years his junior

Bas Eickhout, MEP since 2009, announced his resignation on Wednesday after admitting he had “relations” inappropriate for the position. The Dutch politician opened the Greens list in the 2024 European elections and was co-chair of the group in the European Parliament, according to Politico.

“I have reflected critically on my own actions in the past,” Eickhout said in a statement Wednesday. “I have not always done the right thing in the past. I have had relationships that did not suit my role. I should not have done this and I take responsibility. This reflection, together with the awareness that the party is entering a new phase, brought me to this decision,” he added.

His party, PRO, stated that Eickhout “made this decision, among other reasons, because he did not report previous employment relationships.” The formation is the product of an ongoing merger between the Green-Left party in the Netherlands and the Dutch Social Democrats.

The reaction of the Greens

The group said in a statement that it respects and understands Eickhout's decision to step down.

“We take any allegations of breach of the code of conduct very seriously,” the Greens said.

“A professional, open work environment for everyone is essential and our group has acted accordingly. We will continue to work to build a culture of respect, trust and openness in the workplace,” they said.

“We understand the impact of this announcement and would like to emphasize that the group has confidential advisors and other resources available to those affected by these decisions,” the group said.

Politico reported last week that Eickhout, 49, had revealed to party colleagues that he was in a relationship with Lena Schilling, 25, the youngest member of the European Parliament.

A spokesperson for Eickhout told the publication that the resignation “has nothing to do with the relationship with Lena.”