Els de Groen

Els de Groen
De Groen in 1987
Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands
In office 2004–2009
Personal details
Born	Elly Kouwenhoven (1949-12-23)23 December 1949 The Hague, Netherlands
Died	19 October 2025(2025-10-19) (aged 75)
Party	Europa Transparant The Greens–European Free Alliance
Profession	Journalist writer politician

Elly de Groen-Kouwenhoven (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛli də ɣruŋ ˈkʌuə(n)ˌɦoːvə(n)];^[a] née Kouwenhoven; 23 December 1949 – 19 October 2025), generally known as Els de Groen, was a Dutch author and politician, who served as a Member of the European Parliament 2004–2009. She was a member of Europe Transparent, which sat with the Greens/EFA party group. As an MEP, she was a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Petitions, as well as a member of the delegation to the EU–Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee and a substitute for the delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Europe. De Groen died on 19 October 2025, at the age of 75.^[1]

Career

• Senior secondary teaching certificate
• French teacher (1970–1975)
• Writer, essayist and commentator
• Literary reviewer, children's books (1985–1992)
• Editor of the Algemeen Dagblad's children's newspaper (1986–1989)
• Worked for 20 years on news magazines
• Author of various works of fiction and non-fiction for adults
• Her work over 20 years placed a strong emphasis on Eastern Europe
• Unpaid adviser to the Dutch foundation 'Roma-Emancipatie' in Oss (from 2002)
• Various literary awards

Notes

1. Groen in isolation: [ˈɣrun].

References

1. "Auteur Els de Groen (1949-2025) overleden" [Author Els de Groen (1949–2025) died]. Uitgeverij In de Knipscheer (Press release) (in Dutch). 21 October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.

External links

• Official website
• European Parliament biography^{[permanent dead link]}
• (in Dutch) Parlement.com biography
• Declaration (PDF) of financial interests (in Dutch)