In the 2014 elections for the European Parliament Animal advocacy parties won two seats. One came from the Party for the Animals (Partij voor de Dieren; PvdD) in the Netherlands and the second from the Party Human Environment Animal Protection (Tierschutzpartei) in Germany.
But in December 2014 the German MEP left his party and became an independent MEP in the EUL-NGL-group.
Both MEPs, the Dutch and the German worked for animal welfare issues in the European Parliament and kept alive the idea of the separate pro-animal political forces.
On April 4, as many as 11 parties for animals from across Europe gathered in Brussels aiming to present a collective manifesto and announce their participation in the European Parliament elections.
As a result lists of the International mouvement Animal Politics EU was presented in many EU countries.
This time the animal advocacy parties will elect 3-4 MEPs. The Dutch party secured 1 seat, the Portuguese as well while it is quite sure that the German will elect at list 1.
The Party for the Animals (Partij voor de Dieren; PvdD) in the Netherlands, which was founded in 2002, is the most successful among the pro-Animal parties in Europe. It has 5 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives, 2 seats in Senate, 20 seats in the State Provincial councils and one MEP, a member of the GUE/NGL Group.
Party Human Environment Animal Protection (Tierschutzpartei) in Germany is among the oldest in the pro-Animal movement since it was founded in 1993.
But the People–Animals–Nature (PAN), a relatively new party since it was founded in 2009, represents a surprise for both the International mouvement and Portuguese politics.
PAN seems to get 5.1% of the vote and elect one MEP.
But, although animal advocacy parties share the same principles, their preference in relation to the parliamentary Groups differ.
While the Dutch Party for the Animals and the German Tierschutzpartei will probably join again the GUE/NGL Group, the PAN said will join the Greens.
Parties for animals share a fundamental principle to protect the interests of the weakest against the might of the strongest. Serving the interests of humans and animals alike.
The parties say that gaining greater political representation for animals in the European Parliament would be a major step in the battle for animal rights and a sustainable future.
