“
Our solutions are radical, but they are the only ones that are reasonable.
It is in a room in effervescence that Hélène Thouy, candidate of the animalist party, concluded on Saturday an evening where more than 200 militants of his party met to launch the presidential election.
The contender, who wants the debates on the animal cause to be at the heart of the debate in 2022, welcomed that this question is currently at the heart of the concerns.
“
We feel a shudder.
Almost all of the other parties talk about animals and their well-being,
”she told her troops in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.
To discover
Presidential 2022: where are the candidates in the polls?
Prohibition of shooting hunting for recreational purposes, creation of a ministry of animal health, end of intensive and industrial breeding: the leader of the movement spoke of the various flagship measures she is carrying, tending to hand "
to the breeders
" and castigating the FNSEA (national federation of farmers' unions). She also attacked the hunters, who according to her satisfy a "
sordid and shameful impulse
" by causing "
a sort of terror and insecurity to reign in the countryside
". In a speech that looks like a campaign rally, she did not forget to scratch the head of state, who presents himself as a "
great lover of animals
" but does nothing for them according to her. "
It looks like he declared the massacre of animals the great cause of the five-year term,
”she asserts.
Good results in previous elections
It was last July, after five years of existence, that the Animalist Party announced its willingness to participate in the presidential election. A new electoral battle for this movement, which claims 4000 members, and which has only increased its scores in previous elections. In 2017, during the legislative elections, the movement obtained 63,637 votes across the country, or 1.10% of the votes cast in the 142 constituencies where it presented a candidate. Better still, in 2019, during the European elections, the party obtained 2.2% of the vote, more than the UPR of François Asselineau and Lutte Ouvrière and almost as much as the candidate of the Communist Party, Ian Brossat (2 , 5%). During municipal elections,the party also succeeded in securing several municipal council seats through cross-party alliances.
Read alsoPresidential: an animal rights lawyer on the way to 2022
Energized by these good results, Hélène Thouy now intends to make her voice heard during the election queen: the presidential election.
“
Our ideas will have a much larger audience if we can participate in the debates.
Imagine our candidate, on a public service channel, defending the animal cause in front of Macron or Mélenchon.
It would be a huge publicity
”, rejoices Simon, co-president of Campus Animaliste, the youth branch of the party, created this Saturday.
But for that, it will first be necessary to obtain the 500 sponsorships necessary to appear on the starting line.
A task that many activists are working to achieve, locally.
Earlier today, many of them took part in a training workshop on “
collecting sponsorships
”.
"
Things are progressing well, I'm optimistic,
" says Hélène Thouy, who however does not want to give any indication of the number of signed promises already registered.
But some mayors would, according to her, be subjected to "
pressure
" from hunters, firmly opposed to the participation of the Animalist Party in the presidential election.
Brand supports
For this election, the Animalist Party claims in any case brand support. From presenters Michel Drucker and Julien Courbet to Raphaël Mezrahi and Laurent Baffi, passing by the former actress Brigitte Bardot, or Sylvie Rocard, the daughter of Michel Rocard. “
In the history of mankind, there have been some righteous causes for which men have stood up. This is the case with the animal cause,
”explains actress Souad Amidou, another support for the movement.
Positions that encourage animal activists to think that a dynamic is being born.
And to dream of a good score in the presidential election.
“
Everything is possible!
There has been a real awareness of all these issues with the pandemic.
These are subjects that can no longer be avoided
”, jubilates Sarah, a vegan activist.
“
The 21st century will be the century of animals, I'm sure.
And a posteriori, one will wonder how it was possible to make them undergo such treatment
”, abounds Amadeous, an activist very active on these questions.
Read also The animalist party wants to run for the presidential election
For the time being, if the Animalist Party is more and more visible in the media, it is still absent from all opinion polls by polling institutes.
What does not discourage the militants.
"
When the campaign has really started and Hélène Thouy will be at 3/4% in the polls, our demands will be at the heart of the public debate
", concludes Xavier, student and co-president of the Animalist Campus.
