Rotterdam PvdD fraction canceled party membership because of a support mother party for European armament plan

The Rotterdam municipal council of the Party for the Animals canceled the party membership. The municipal party leader Ruud van der Velden announced this on Tuesday NRC.

The Rotterdam group is formed by Van der Velden and Sabrina van de Peppel. The two breaks with the national party because the House of Representatives, which is led by Esther Ouwehand, has started a change of course by the European armament plan to support without consulting the members.

The Rotterdam PvdD council members state that the party’s position was always that « weapons do not resolve conflicts but worsen » and an « weapon race is only in the interest of the arms industry. » Previously, the national party argued for peace negotiations instead of defense expenditure, but now they opt for « escalating steps in terms of extra armament, » said the two.

The two Rotterdam councilors do not agree. « Since the new group describes itself as ‘left’ and goes along in the war rhetoric that is now also characterized by other left -wing parties, the Party for the Animals is no longer itself. The transcending importance of animals, nature and the environment is no longer on one, » says Van der Velden and Van de Peppel.

Middle East

European countries would already have enough weapons to protect themselves, says the Rotterdam branch. The local department also points to the dramatic consequences of the war in Ukraine for humans, animals, nature, climate and the environment and they find that attention is paid to, for example, the situation in the Middle East at the expense of these core themes.

Furthermore, the Rotterdam group believes that the House of Representatives is lagging by submitting a bill to prohibit the slaughter of animals without anesthesia. Moreover, the national group would be ‘totally’ invisible during debates about nitrogen and animal welfare, according to the Rotterdammers.

Previously, former party leader Marianne Thieme and the youth party Pink! Already criticism of the new party line. « The militarist twist that the group made borders on voters frog, » said Thieme Fidelity. « Peace through weapons is like meat food for animal welfare, » said the youth club.

Rather conflict

In the past, PvdD leader Ouwehand also became in conflict with party members. In September 2023, the then board, of which Van der Velden was the chairman at the time, decided to withdraw old hand as a party leader. A whistleblower had leaked emails from Ouwehands Political Adviser, in which strategies were under pressure to put pressure on the old board and to put board secretary Elze Boshart out of the board. A month later, the new board stated that Ouwehand had not been guilty of integrity violations. According to Van der Velden, the decision to cancel membership is independent of the earlier party conflict.

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