The PPR played a relatively small role in Dutch politics and merged with other left-wing parties to form GroenLinks in 1991.

The foundation of the PPR is linked to formation of the De Jong cabinet and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Progressive forces within the KVP and ARP had hoped for the formation of a centre-left cabinet with the Labour Party (PvdA) without the participation of the CHU and the VVD.

They claimed that the left-wing, so called "evangelically radical", ideal of the ARP could not be realised in a cabinet with the VVD.

The group included Wilhelm de Gaay Fortman, prominent ARP politician, his son Bas de Gaay Fortman, Jo Cals, former KVP prime minister, and Ruud Lubbers, member of the KVP and future prime minister.

In February 1968, the leaders of the KVP, Norbert Schmelzer, ARP, Barend Biesheuvel and CHU, Jur Mellema made a public appearance, stating that the three parties wanted to work together more closely.

With that appearance, the hopes of the Christian Radicals within the KVP that a progressive alliance with the Labour Party would be formed were shattered.

The parties proposed common election manifestos and formed the Den Uyl shadow cabinet.

The first Biesheuvel cabinet was formed by the ARP, KVP, CHU, VVD and the Democratic Socialists '70.

Former ARP politician Bas de Gaay Fortman led the party in the elections.

A compromise was found in the progressive Den Uyl cabinet, an extraparliamentary cabinet comprising PvdA, D66 and PPR and progressive individuals from the ARP and the KVP, including former Radicals such as Lubbers and Wilhelm de Gaay Fortman.

Before the 1977 elections, Bas de Gaay Fortman was replaced as political leader by Ria Beckers.

This was attributed to the political competition between PvdA Prime Minister Joop den Uyl and his Christian Democrat competitor Dries van Agt, which caused many PPR sympathisers to vote for Den Uyl, and also the anti-KVP/ARP resolution adopted by the convention, which made serious participation in cabinet impossible.

In 1979, following the first direct election to the European Parliament, the PRP was involved with the Coordination of European Green and Radical Parties (CEGRP) and its unsuccessful efforts to create a single pan-European platform for green and radical politics.

[6] The party began to debate its political course: some members (known as the Godebald-group) wanted to continue cooperation with the PvdA.

The three parties contested the 1984 European Parliament election with a combined candidate list with the name Green Progressive Accord.

Both the PSP and CPN were unwilling to cooperate intensively with the PPR, which was slightly larger in seats and which they saw as a non-socialist party.

Their initiative was supported by an open letter from members of trade unions, environmental movements and the arts which called for one progressive formation to the left of the PvdA.

Several decisions were important in this, but especially the 1981 congress in which the party decided not to cooperate, but try to found a political alliance left of the PvdA with a green program.

*: Group Van Aarden, who split from the Catholic People's Party in 1968; no formal ties with the PPR.

The PPRs electorate consisted of young, well educated voters, who often had a Catholic or Protestant background.

The Rode Draad was published since 1985 it was a magazine for municipal and provincial councillors of both the PSP, PPR and CPN.