SHOULD goldfish have a voice in parliament? Marianne Thieme, leader of the Dutch Party for the Animals (PvdD) thinks so. Ever since the party won two seats in parliament in 2006, its members have been busy, asking more written questions than most and tabling motions on topics from biotech to halal slaughter to the life of goldfish.The party’s success has inspired others. There are animal-rights parties in 14 countries, mostly in Europe. Friends of animals around the world recently met in Istanbul, home to one recent addition, Hayvan Partisi, the Turkish animal party. The aim of the conference was to strengthen networks and share best practice so as to improve the political representation of animal-rights parties.The PvdD is the first of its kind to be elected to a national parliament. Its successes have included a national ban on round goldfish bowls (too stressful), tougher rules for animal transport in Europe and securing €6m ($ 8m) of public money to search for alternatives to meat. Their goal is to move away from human-centred thinking and create a society that treats animals with respect. Ms Thieme sees her party as a path-breaker that can encourage everybody…
The Economist: Europe
