SOCIALISTISCHE PARTIJ

(SP; SOCIALISTPARTY)

   Apolitical party founded in 1972 as a Maoist party and originally named the Kommunistiese Partij Nederland/Marxisties-Leninisties (Communist Party of the Netherlands/Marxist-Leninist). In 1991, the party for mally abandoned the communist doctrine. The SPgot its first mem bers in Parliament in 1994, under the direction of party leader Jo hannes Guillaume Adreas (“Jan”) Marijnissen (1952– ). Nine (out of 150) seats had been the party’s maximum until 2003. Yet, in the No vember 2006 elections, the SPclimbed to no less than 25 seats, which gave it the third biggest position in Parliament. The SPis a radical al ternative for the Social Democratic Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA) and the more intellectual GroenLinks (GL). SP members of Parlia ment have to donate their salary to the party. The red tomato is the party’s symbol. The SP is linked to the European United Left and Nordic Green Left groups in the European Parliament (EP).