On the heels of the Florida Mayoral Candidate running for office as a loggerhead turtle, Reuters reports on the newest political party in Portugal – the People-Animals-Nature (PAN) party.
The report claims that PAN is seen as getting four or more seats in the Portuguese parliament and that PAN may fill the vacuum left by a souring of the government’s relationship with traditional far-left allies.
Although PAN is running on a platform of lower taxes on pet food and opposition to bull fights, the report says that PAN wants more influence on environmental policy and is open to deals.
“They [PAN] defend animal rights: not just the rich ladies’ kitties and pooches, but all the animals, and the environment, that’s what attracted me,” said Alexandre Corona, a 40-year-old dog owner and car factory worker, who transcends PAN’s typical big-city, student-age voter base.
Critics charge that PAN, as the “animal party,” places animal rights about those of humans. PAN argues that it seeks to promote a better world of harmony between humans and nature.
Aside from seeking more humane treatment of animals, PAN has urged the government to declare a climate emergency.
The party is open to backing the government in parliament if it commits to making “a clear change in our productivists, oil-dependent, hightly carbonized economy,” said PAN leader Andre Silva, a vegetarian who scuba-dives and attends group movement sessions known as “biodance.”
We have met the enemy and he is us – Pogo
