Denk (political party)
Denk (Dutch pronunciation: [dɛŋk]; Dutch for "think" and Turkish for "equal" or "balanced") is a political party in the Netherlands, founded on a minority rights platform. It is legally registered as "Politieke Beweging Denk" (Political Movement Denk).
Denk | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Stephan van Baarle |
| Chairman | Ejder Köse |
| Leader in the House of Representatives | Stephan van Baarle |
| Founders | Tunahan Kuzu Selçuk Öztürk |
| Founded | 9 February 2015 |
| Split from | Labour Party |
| Headquarters | Lodewijk Pincoffsweg 503,Rotterdam |
| Youth wing | Jongerenbeweging Oppositie |
| Think tank | Wetenschappelijk Instituut Statera |
| Membership (2024) | 3,594 |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre-left |
| Colours | Turquoise Orange |
| Senate | 0 / 75 |
| House of Representatives | 3 / 150 |
| Provincial councils | 0 / 570 |
| European Parliament | 0 / 29 |
| Website | |
| bewegingdenk | |
| |
The party was founded by Tunahan Kuzu and Selçuk Öztürk, two Turkish Dutch members of the House of Representatives, after leaving the Labour Party on 13 November 2014. Upon winning three seats at the 2017 election, Denk became the first migrant-founded party to gain seats in the Dutch national parliament.
Although the party has been colloquially described as a "Muslim political party", Denk "does not promote Muslim candidates as do most similar political parties in Europe". Indeed, Denk's current party leader and lijsttrekker in the House of Representatives, Stephan van Baarle, is an agnostic.
The party BIJ1 was founded by Sylvana Simons when she left Denk in 2016, and the two parties overlap substantially on minority rights issues but are divergent on cultural liberal aspects (wherein Denk is more conservative).