Parti Animaliste started in France
Worldwide there are now eighteen parties for the animals
Last week, the political party ‘Parti Animaliste’ was launched in France. The French sister party of the Party for the Animals is the tenth political party in Europe that put animals centre stage. The Parti Animaliste wants to incorporate animal rights into the French Constitution and put a stop to cockfights and hunting for pleasure. The party’s founders include lawyers, politicians and animal activists. Since 2002 – the year that the Dutch Party for the Animals was founded – eighteen parties for the animals have been created worldwide. The launching of the Parti Animaliste, on Monday the 14th of November, was attended by MEP Anja Hazekamp and Senate Member Cristine Teunissen of the Dutch Party for the Animals.
Christine Teunissen: “It’s fantastic to see how our global social movement is growing gradually. This month, the Dutch Party for the Animals is celebrating that it has been represented in the Lower House for ten years already; the world’s first party in parliament that doesn’t just focus on human interests. Meanwhile, the parties for the animals in Portugal and Australia have also achieved seats in parliament. The time is now ripe for a party for the animals in France. One billion animals are slaughtered after a short, horrific life in the livestock industry in La Douce France every year. The new party is badly needed to put a stop to this.”
MEP Anja Hazekamp is happy and proud that there now is a party in France too to represent the most vulnerable creatures on this planet. According to Hazekamp, attention for animals is highly required in French politics. “Issues like foie gras production, where animals are force-fed through a hopper several times a day, can be seriously tackled as from now. That could not be envisaged until recently. When I took office as MEP, I was offered foie gras as a welcome gift by the Mayor of Strasbourg. He was highly surprised when I told him that foie gras is not a gift but animal suffering in a jar. The established politicians in France will in future frequently be told that message.”