Worldlog Tjedan 13 – 2014

Iza nas je jedan nervozan, ali lijep tjedan kampanje za općinske izbore. Trenutak istine, srijeda 19. ožujka: Nizozemska je išla glasovati. Bukirali smo 100% uspjeha: od PvdD predstavništva u šest općina, sada imamo predstavništvo u njih dvanaest! U Amsterdamu, Leidenu, Den Haagu, Pijnacker-Nootdorpu, Gaudi, Rotterdamu, Utrechtu, Burenu, Arnhemu, Apeldoornu, Groningenu i Vlagtweddeu imamo zastupničko mjesto. U Vlagtweddeu smo jednaki VVD-u (Narodna stranka za slobodu i demokraciju, op. prev.), a u Amsterdamu smo dobili više glasova od CDA-a (Kršćansko-demokratskog apela, op.prev.) 🙂

Rezultati ovih izbora ukazuju na ogroman rast u broju birača koji se čvrsto drže svojih ideala. U šest općina gdje smo već imali zastupništvo, dobili smo još više glasova nego na prošlim izbora. To znači da uspijevamo doprijeti do velikog broja ljudi koji ne glasaju za kratkoročne ljudske potrebe, već razmišljaju o dogoročnom dobru. Što se tiče državnih izbora, prognoziran nam je 50-postotan rast u odnosu na izbore 2012.

Od srca čestitam i zahvaljujem svim aktivnim članovima u svih 12 općina i svim članovima Stranke za životinje u Amsterdamu!

Naravno, zahvaljujem i svim biračima iz svih 12 općina koji su svoj glas dali jedinoj stranci koja se ne bavi kratkoročnim potrebama bilo koje vrste!

Lijepe nam vijesti stižu i iz Zastupničkog doma. Zabranit će se upotreba vrlo štetnog sredstva koji sadrži neonikotiniode. Otrov je opasan za pčele i druge oprašivače poput bumbara , koji masovno umiru od toga. Većina doma stala je iza nas za nacionalnu zabranu ovog otrova u poljoprivredi i maloprodaji.

Neonikotiniodi su relativno novi otrovi koji imaju stravičan učinak na pčele. Ova je tvar tisuću putu otrovnija od DDT-a. Godinama se već borimo protiv neonikotinioda. Početkom 2013., Zastupnička je većina podržala inicijativu Esther Ouwehand za Europsku zabranu ovog otrova. Zahvaljujući ovoj inicijativi obustavilo se korištenje tri vrste neonikotinoida u EU. Europa, s druge strane, protiv velikog postotka otrova koji sadrži neonikotinoide nije poduzela mjere, tako da oko 80% otrova u Nizozemskoj nije zabranjeno. U međuvremenu je naša zemlja među top tri u korištenju otrova u poljoprivredi, te je smrtnost pčela kod nas iznimno visoka!

Ovog sam tjedna postavila Zastupničko pitanje o lovačkim klubovima (WBE-i) koji organiziraju „dane vrana“ u Drachtenu. Lovce putem letaka izazivaju da upucaju što više vrana i čavki u zraku, kako bi primili „lijepe nagrade“.

Vrane i čavke na listi su životinja koje poljoprivrednik tokom cijele godine smije „eliminirati“ na svojoj zemlji ako se pokaže da nanose štetu. Ovo zadnje se rijetko događa. Nevjerojatno je kako lovci u sezoni parenja bez milosti mogu pucati u ptice i još od toga napraviti malo natjecanje. Ove navike ukazuju da naše očuvanje prirode ne bi smjelo biti u rukama ljudi kojima je puška dio tjedne razonode.

Na sreću su „dani vrana“ ukinuti u Drachtenu nakon Zastupničkog pitanja. Krasno!

Stojimo na pragu kampanje za izbore u Europskom parlamentu. Doznajem kako će i stranke za životinje u Španjolskoj, Portugalu, Njemačkoj i Engleskoj također sudjelovati u izborima. Rast stranaka za životinje je nezaustavljiv!

Pozdrav,

Marianne

With the campaign for the municipal elections, we have exciting and beautiful weeks behind us. Wednesday 19 March was the day: the Netherlands went to the polls. We gained 100%: from a representation of the Party for the Animals (PvdD) in 6 municipalities, we are now represented in 12 municipalities! We obtained seats in Amsterdam, Leiden, The Hague, Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Gouda, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Buren, Arnhem, Apeldoorn, Groningen and Vlagtwedde. In Vlagtwedde, we are as big as the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and in Amsterdam we won more votes than the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) 🙂

The outcome of the elections has shown an enormous increase in the number of voters that want to hold on to their ideals. Compared to last time, we won a lot more votes in the 6 municipalities where we were in the council already. This means we managed to reach an increasing number of people who do not choose short-term interests of people, but focus on compassion and sustainability. Moreover, in the national forecast, we also won 50 per cent compared to the elections in 2012.

To all active members in the 12 municipalities, to all candidates and to the Party Bureau of the Party for the Animals in Amsterdam: Congratulations and many thanks for all your efforts!

And, of course, I would like to thank all voters in the 12 municipalities for their votes on the only party that is not based on the short-term interests of its own species!

More good news from the Lower House. There will be a ban on the use of highly hazardous pesticides containing neonicotinoids. This poison is dangerous to bees and other pollinators, such as bumble bees, and plays a part in the massive bee deaths. A Parliamentary majority sided with us for a national moratorium on the use of this bee poison in agriculture and for sale to private individuals.

Neonicotinoids are relatively new pesticides that have a disastrous effect on bees. To illustrate, this substance is thousands of times more toxic than DDT. We have therefore fought against neonicotinoids for years. At the start of 2013, a motion of Esther Ouwehand for a European ban on this pesticide obtained a Parliamentary majority. Partly owing to this motion, the use of three types of neonicotinoid has now been curbed in the EU. However, the European measures leave most neonicotinoid uses unchanged: as much as 80% remains unaffected in the Netherlands. Whereas our country is in the top-3 of countries with the highest pesticide levels in agriculture and bee deaths are exceptionally high here!

This week, I asked Parliamentary questions about “crow day” in Drachten, organised by hunting clubs (WBEs). In a pamphlet, hunters are challenged to shoot as many living crows and jackdaws from the sky as possible to win “nice prices”.

Crows and jackdaws are included on the “national exemption list”, which means that land users may “fight” both animal species on their lands during the entire year in case of proven major damage. This last aspect is hardly ever proven independently. It is a travesty that hunters are permitted to unscrupulously blast birds from the sky in the breeding season and even make a contest of it too. These sorts of practices once again show that the conservation of nature ought not to be placed in the hands of hobbyists with guns.

Fortunately, crow day in Drachten has been called off in response to my Parliamentary questions. Good!

We are on the eve of the campaign for the European Parliamentary elections. I understand that the parties for the animals in Spain, Portugal, Germany and England will also take part in the elections. The rise of the Party for the Animals in Europe is unstoppable!

Greetings,

Marianne