Party for the Animals
Encyclopedia
The Party for the Animals is a political party
in the Netherlands
.
Among its main goals are animal rights
and animal welfare
, though it claims not to be a single-issue party
. The party does consider itself to be a testimonial party
, which does not seek to gain political power, but only to testify to its beliefs.
Its chairwoman and political leader is Marianne Thieme
.
At the moment the Party for the Animals holds 2 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives and 1 of the 75 seats in the Senate.
In the House of Representatives Marianne Thieme
and Esther Ouwehand
represent the PvdD since November 30, 2006, whereas Niko Koffeman
represents it in the Senate since June 12, 2007. The party's leading candidate for the 2009 European parliamentary election
was Natasja Oerlemans
, who failed to gain a seat.
In the Dutch general election of 2003 it gained 50,000 votes (0.5%), but not a seat in the House of Representatives.
In the February 2004 European Parliament election the party gained 153,000 votes (3.2%), three times as much as in the 2002 Dutch general election. Still the number of votes was not enough to obtain a seat in the European Parliament.
During the 2006 November 22 parliamentary elections
it gained 179,988 votes (1.8%), enough for two seats in Dutch parliament.
In the run-up to these elections the party was supported by several Dutch celebrities, such as writers Maarten 't Hart
and Jan Wolkers
.
In its third parliamentary elections
, on June 9 in 2010, the PvdD retained its two seats in the House of Representatives.
One of the results that the PvdD claims to have reached during her first four year parliamentory period is the fact that the government has declared that reduction of national meat consumption further on is one of its priorities.
The Party for Animals welcomed its 10,000th member in late 2009.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Among its main goals are animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
and animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
, though it claims not to be a single-issue party
Single-issue politics
Single-issue politics involves political campaigning or political support based on one essential policy area or idea.-Political expression:...
. The party does consider itself to be a testimonial party
Testimonial party
Testimonial party is a political party that focuses on its principles, instead of adapting them to local or temporal issues in the pursuit of coalition government participation...
, which does not seek to gain political power, but only to testify to its beliefs.
Its chairwoman and political leader is Marianne Thieme
Marianne Thieme
Marianne Louise Thieme is a Dutch politician of the Party for the Animals . She has been Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives since November 23, 2006 and an MP since November 30, 2006....
.
At the moment the Party for the Animals holds 2 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives and 1 of the 75 seats in the Senate.
In the House of Representatives Marianne Thieme
Marianne Thieme
Marianne Louise Thieme is a Dutch politician of the Party for the Animals . She has been Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives since November 23, 2006 and an MP since November 30, 2006....
and Esther Ouwehand
Esther Ouwehand
Esther Ouwehand is a Dutch politician and former marketing manager. She is one of the two Members of Parliament for the Party for the Animals .- Personal life :...
represent the PvdD since November 30, 2006, whereas Niko Koffeman
Niko Koffeman
Niko Karel Koffeman is a Dutch politician. He represents the Party for Animals in the Senate of the States-General.-Career:...
represents it in the Senate since June 12, 2007. The party's leading candidate for the 2009 European parliamentary election
European Parliament election, 2009 (Netherlands)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in the Netherlands was the election of the delegation from the Netherlands to the European Parliament in 2009 and took place on June 4, 2009. Seventeen parties competed in a D'Hondt type election for 25 seats...
was Natasja Oerlemans
Natasja Oerlemans
Natasja Oerlemans is a Dutch politician, a prominent member of the Party for the Animals.She stood as a candidate for the European Parliament in the 2009 election. She is a vegetarian.-References:...
, who failed to gain a seat.
History
The Party for the Animals was founded in October 2002 by among others Marianne Thieme.In the Dutch general election of 2003 it gained 50,000 votes (0.5%), but not a seat in the House of Representatives.
In the February 2004 European Parliament election the party gained 153,000 votes (3.2%), three times as much as in the 2002 Dutch general election. Still the number of votes was not enough to obtain a seat in the European Parliament.
During the 2006 November 22 parliamentary elections
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
it gained 179,988 votes (1.8%), enough for two seats in Dutch parliament.
In the run-up to these elections the party was supported by several Dutch celebrities, such as writers Maarten 't Hart
Maarten 't Hart
Maarten 't Hart is a Dutch biologist who studied zoology and ethology at the University of Leiden and taught that subject before becoming a full-time writer in the 1980s. He is the author of many novels, including Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld and De kroongetuige...
and Jan Wolkers
Jan Wolkers
Jan Hendrik Wolkers was a Dutch author, sculptor and painter.Wolkers is considered one of the "Great Four" writers of post-World War II Dutch literature, along with Willem Frederik Hermans, Harry Mulisch and Gerard Reve...
.
Present
In its first municipal council elections the party in 2010 gained one seat in every of the five places, where it participated.In its third parliamentary elections
Dutch general election, 2010
The 2010 Dutch general election was held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. After the fall of the cabinet Balkenende IV on 20 February, Queen Beatrix accepted the resignation of the Labour Party ministers on 23 February...
, on June 9 in 2010, the PvdD retained its two seats in the House of Representatives.
Miscellaneous
The "PvdD" is the first political party in the world to gain parliamentary seats with an agenda focused primarily on animal rights.One of the results that the PvdD claims to have reached during her first four year parliamentory period is the fact that the government has declared that reduction of national meat consumption further on is one of its priorities.
The Party for Animals welcomed its 10,000th member in late 2009.