View source for Human Environment Animal Protection Party

{{short description|Political party in Germany}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Animal Protection Party
| native_name = ''Tierschutzpartei''
| native_name_lang = de
| logo = File:Logo Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz Tierschutzpartei (2024).svg
| colours = [[Teal]]
| headquarters = Schreiersgrüner Str. 5 <br />08233 [[Treuen]]
| leader1_title = Chairpersons
| leader1_name = Paula López Vicente, Marcel Krohn, Robert Gabel
| foundation = 13 February 1993
| ideology = [[Animal rights]]<br>[[Animal welfare]]<br>[[Environmentalism]]<br>[[Veganism]]<ref name="ndr1"/>
| position = [[Left-wing politics|Left-wing]]<ref name="left">{{cite web |url=https://www.dw.com/en/german-eu-lawmaker-resigns-over-neo-nazi-past/a-52180706 |title=German EU lawmaker resigns over neo-Nazi past |first=Elizabeth |last=Schumacher |date=28 January 2020 |website=[[Deutsche Welle]] |quote="Martin Buschmann of the small left-wing Animal Protection Party has apologized following revelations he once was a member of Germany's ultranationalist NPD party."}}</ref>
| membership = 2,400<ref name="ndr1">{{cite web |url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Europawahl-2024-Mit-diesen-Plaenen-werben-die-kleinen-Parteien,europawahl946.html |title=Europawahl 2024: Mit diesen Plänen werben die kleinen Parteien |language=de |date=7 June 2024 |first=Friederike |last=Hoppe |website=[[Norddeutscher Rundfunk]]}}</ref>
| membership_year = 2024
| european = [[Animal Politics EU]]
| europarl = [[The Left in the European Parliament]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Terkildsen |first1=Thor |title=Tierschutzpartei party mandate's |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/partei/mandate/ |website=tierschutzpartei |access-date=29 March 2022}}</ref>
| seats1_title = [[Bundestag]]
| seats1 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats2_title = [[Composition of the German State Parliaments|State Parliaments]]
| seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|1855|{{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection Party}}}}
| seats3_title = [[2024 European Parliament election in Germany|European Parliament]]
| seats3 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP}}
| colorcode = {{Political party data|color}}
| website = {{Political party data|website}}
| country = Germany
}}
The '''Human Environment Animal Protection Party''' ({{langx|de|Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz}}, short form: '''Animal Protection Party''', {{langx|de|Tierschutzpartei|links=no}}) is a [[political party]] in [[Germany]], founded in 1993. In 2014, the party elected one [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]] to the [[European Parliament]], and it has remained at one MEP since. Between 2020 and 2024, the party was briefly unrepresented in the European Parliament due to the resignation of [[Martin Buschmann]]. The party has never had any members in any of the German state parliaments, nor has it ever had any members of the [[Bundestag]].

== History ==
The Animal Protection Party first contested the [[1993 Hamburg state election]] and received 0.3% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wie alles begann |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/partei/parteichronik/wie-alles-begann/ |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=PARTEI MENSCH UMWELT TIERSCHUTZ |language=de}}</ref> The party contested the [[1994 German federal election|1994 federal election]] where it received 0.15% of the national vote (71,643 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 1994 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/1994.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref> It performed best in Bavaria, where it received 0.4% of the vote.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Wahlergebnisse |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/partei/parteichronik/wahlergebnisse/ |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=PARTEI MENSCH UMWELT TIERSCHUTZ |language=de}}</ref>

In the [[1995 North Rhine-Westphalia state election]], the party received 0.1% of the vote. In the [[1996 Baden-Württemberg state election]], the party received 0.3% of the vote. In 1997, the party elected its first ever official, with Jürgen Gerlach defeating a [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]] candidate in the [[Aschbach, Rhineland-Palatinate|Aschbach]] local council elections.<ref name=":1" /> 

In the [[1998 German federal election|1998 federal election]], the party received 0.27% of the national vote (133,832 votes in total), almost doubling its votes. It did best in Brandenburg, where it received 0.9% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 1998 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/1998.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref> 

The Animal Protection Party participated in its first [[1999 European Parliament election in Germany|European parliament elections in 1999]], where it received 0.7% of the national vote.<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 1999 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/1999.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2002 German federal election|2002 federal election]], the party received 0.33% of the national vote (159,655 votes in total).<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 2002 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2002.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2004 European Parliament election in Germany|2004 European parliament elections]], the Animal Protection Party received by far its best federal result yet, receiving 1.3% of the national vote and coming 8th in the elections.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 2004 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/2004.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2005 German federal election|2005 federal election]], the Animal Protection Party received 0.2% of the national vote (110,603 votes in total), showing its trend of consistently overperforming in European parliament elections and underperforming in federal elections.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestag election 2005 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2005.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2009 European Parliament election in Germany|2009 European parliament elections]], the Animal Protection Party received 1.1% of the national vote (289,694 votes in total). The party continued to receive 0 seats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 2009 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/2009.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2009 German federal election|2009 federal election]], the Animal Protection Party received 0.5% of the national vote (230,872 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Parliament election 2009 - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/europawahlen/2009.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2013 German federal election|2013 federal election]], the Animal Protection Party received 0.3% of the national vote (140,366 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2013/ergebnisse/bund-99.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2014 European Parliament election in Germany|2014 European parliament elections]], the Animal Protection Party received 1.25% of the national vote (366,303 votes in total) and returned one [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]], [[Stefan Eck]], who sat with the [[The Left in the European Parliament|GUE-NGL]].<ref>[http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/europawahlen/EU_BUND_14/ergebnisse/bundesergebnisse/ Bundesergebnis] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705072802/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/europawahlen/EU_BUND_14/ergebnisse/bundesergebnisse/ |date=2015-07-05 }}</ref> In December 2014 Eck left the party and became an independent MEP in the GUE-NGL group.

In the [[2017 German federal election|2017 federal election]], the Animal Protection Party received 0.8% of the national vote (374,179 votes in total).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Results Germany - The Federal Returning Officer |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/en/bundestagswahlen/2017/ergebnisse/bund-99.html |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref>

In the [[2019 European Parliament election in Germany|2019 European parliament elections]], the Animal Protection Party received 1.45% of the national vote (541,984 votes in total) and returned one MEP, [[Martin Buschmann]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/nach-der-wahl-ergebnis-tierschutzpartei-europawahl-2019/|title=Nach der Wahl: Ergebnis Tierschutzpartei Europawahl 2019|date=2019-05-27|website=Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz|language=de-DE|access-date=2019-06-01}}</ref> Buschmann resigned from the party in February 2020 after it was revealed that from 1992 to 1996 he was a member of and a chairman in the far-right [[National Democratic Party of Germany]] (NPD).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/npd-vergangenheit-eu-abgeordneter-martin-buschmann-verlaesst-linksfraktion-a-cf9afca7-de88-466c-97eb-df47e84deb3f |title=NPD-Vergangenheit: EU-Abgeordneter Martin Buschmann verlässt Linksfraktion |work=spiegel.de |date=28 January 2020 |language=de}}</ref>

In the [[2021_German_federal_election|2021 federal election]], the Animal Protection Party received 1.5% of the national vote (675,353 votes in total), which is the best result in a federal election since the party has been founded.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.animalprotectionparty.ca/2021-federal-election/ | title=2021 Federal Election | date=27 August 2021 }}</ref> 

The party took an anti-war position towards the 2022 [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], arguing that neither NATO or EU should "develop into a military global player", and condemning the militaristic and anti-Russian rhetoric. The party condemns the Russian invasion, but states that the European Union also bears responsibility for it. It supports a complete ban on arms exports to areas outside the EU, and argues that the EU should be forbidden from direct or indirect participation in foreign military actions, listing the wars in Middle East, Turkish conflict with Syrian and Iraqi Kurdish areas, as well as "the heated up conflict in Kosovo and also to the war in Ukraine" as examples. The Animal Protection Party also calls for dialogue with Russia and China, and believes that the Russian invasion should not lead to breakdown of diplomatic relations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/europawahl/parteien_und_programme/sicherheit-120.html |title=Wie die Parteien die Sicherheit der EU wahren wollen |language=de |date=7 May 2024 |first=Corinna |last=Edmundts |website=[[Tagesschau (German TV programme)|Tagesschau]]}}</ref>

[[Sebastian Everding]] was elected for the party in the [[2024 European Parliament election in Germany]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Everding |first=Sebastian |date=2023-07-30 |title=Aus NRW für das Europäische Parlament |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/aus-nrw-fuer-das-europaeische-parlament/ |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=PARTEI MENSCH UMWELT TIERSCHUTZ |language=de-DE}}</ref>

The party holds 37 seats in municipality and county assemblies<ref>{{cite web |date=27 March 2023 |title=Unsere Mandate |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/partei/mandate/}}</ref> and one seat in the Bezirkstag Oberbayern.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Mitglieder |url=https://www.bezirk-oberbayern.de/Der-Bezirk-Oberbayern/Bezirkstag/Mitglieder/?La=1&NavID=2503.131 |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Bezirk Oberbayern |language=de}}</ref>

== Ideology, platform and policy ==
The Animal Protection Party is considered a left-wing political party, as part of the [[Animal Politics EU]] alliance. It is a member of [[The Left in the European Parliament]], the furthest left group in the European Parliament. Its platform can be considered as [[left-liberal]], [[Environmentalism|environmentalist]] and [[Pacifism|pacifist]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bildung |first=Bundeszentrale für politische |date=2024-05-07 |title=PARTEI MENSCH UMWELT TIERSCHUTZ |url=https://www.bpb.de/themen/parteien/wer-steht-zur-wahl/europawahl-2024/547995/partei-mensch-umwelt-tierschutz/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=bpb.de |language=de}}</ref>

The party aspires to turn away from the [[Anthropocentrism|anthropocentric]] view of life. The party calls for an independent animal protection officer for each federal state.<ref name=":2" /> Its main goal is the introduction of more [[animal rights]] into the [[Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany|German constitution]]. Those include the right to live and the protection from physical and psychological damages. Thus, the Animal Protection Party demands prohibition of [[animal testing]], [[bullfighting]], [[hunting]], the production of [[fur]]s, [[circus]] [[Animal training|animal]]s and agricultural [[animal husbandry]]. Furthermore, the party supports the adaptation of Germans to [[veganism]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/bedingungsloses-grundeinkommen/ |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz |language=de-DE}}</ref>

The Animal Protection Party wants a reduction of car [[traffic]] and an immediate exit from [[Nuclear power|nuclear energy]].<ref name=":0" /> The party calls for the “consistent use of renewable energies” and the phase-out of coal-fired power generation by 2030. Furthermore, the party also supports an EU-wide switch to 100% renewable energies by 2035.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grundsatzprogramm |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/partei/grundsatzprogramm/ |access-date=2024-11-30 |website=PARTEI MENSCH UMWELT TIERSCHUTZ |language=de}}</ref> To strengthen climate protection, the party supports a ban on disposable electronic cigarettes, more consistent avoidance of plastic waste, including through fixed quotas for recyclable plastics.

Economically, the Animal Protection Party supports more social justice, a stamp duty and a free [[basic income]].<ref name=":0" /> The Animal Protection Party supports equal rights for the [[LGBTQ]] community,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grundsatzprogramm |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/partei/grundsatzprogramm/#_Toc160731057 |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=PARTEI MENSCH UMWELT TIERSCHUTZ |language=de}}</ref> and supports a [[euthanasia]] system similar to the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grundsatzprogramm |url=https://www.tierschutzpartei.de/partei/grundsatzprogramm/#_Toc160731067 |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=PARTEI MENSCH UMWELT TIERSCHUTZ |language=de}}</ref> On foreign policy, the party opposes a European army and backs a pacifism clause in the [[Treaty on European Union|EU treaty]].<ref name=":2" />

== Election results ==
=== Federal parliament (''Bundestag'') ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:right;"
|-
! rowspan=2| Election
! colspan=2| Constituency
! colspan=2| Party list
! rowspan=2| Seats
! rowspan=2| +/–
! rowspan=2| Status
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
! [[1994 German federal election|1994]]
| bgcolor="lightgrey" colspan="2"|
| 71,643
| 0.2 (#11)
| {{composition bar|0|672|hex=}}
| bgcolor="lightgrey"|
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[1998 German federal election|1998]]
| 1,734
| 0.0 (#30)
| 133,832
| 0.3 (#11)
| {{composition bar|0|669|hex={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2002 German federal election|2002]]
| 8,858
| 0.0 (#15)
| 159,655
| 0.3 (#10)
| {{composition bar|0|603|hex={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2005 German federal election|2005]]
| 7,341
| 0.0 (#15)
| 110,603
| 0.2 (#11)
| {{composition bar|0|614|hex={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2009 German federal election|2009]]
| 16,887
| 0.0 (#16)
| 230,872
| 0.5 (#9)
| {{composition bar|0|622|hex={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2013 German federal election|2013]]
| 4,437
| 0.0 (#20)
| 140,366
| 0.3 (#11)
| {{composition bar|0|630|hex={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2017 German federal election|2017]]
| 22,917
| 0.1 (#15)
| 374,179
| 0.8 (#10)
| {{composition bar|0|709|hex={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2021 German federal election|2021]]
| 160,863
| 0.4 (#11)
| 673,669
| 1.5 (#9)
| {{composition bar|0|736|hex={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2025 German federal election|2025]]
| 82,485
| 0.17 (#12)
| 482,032
| 0.97 (#10)
| {{composition bar|0|630|hex={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Extra-parliamentary}}
|}

===European Parliament===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! Election
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! EP Group
|-
! [[1999 European Parliament election in Germany|1999]]
| 185,186
| 0.68 (#8)
| {{Composition bar|0|99|{{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection Party}}}}
| New
| rowspan=3 | –
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in Germany|2004]]
| 331,388
| 1.29 (#8)
| {{Composition bar|0|99|{{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Germany|2009]]
| 289,694
| 1.10 (#9)
| {{Composition bar|0|99|{{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Germany|2014]]
| 366,598
| 1.25 (#10)
| {{Composition bar|1|96|{{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection Party}}}}
| {{Increase}} 1
| [[European United Left - Nordic Green Left|GUE/NGL]]
|-
! [[2019 European Parliament election in Germany|2019]]
| 542,226
| 1.45 (#10)
| {{Composition bar|1|96|{{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| rowspan=2 | [[The Left in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL|The Left]]
|-
! [[2024 European Parliament election in Germany|2024]]
| 570,498
| 1.43 (#12)
| {{Composition bar|1|96|{{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|}


== See also ==
* [[European Vegetarian Union]]
* [[List of animal advocacy parties]]
* [[Gisela Bulla]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.euroanimal7.org/ Euro Animal 7] {{in lang|en}}

{{Parties of Germany}}
{{Animal rights|movement}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Political parties in Germany]]
[[Category:Animal advocacy parties]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1993]]
[[Category:1993 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:Universal basic income in Germany]]
[[Category:Political parties supporting universal basic income]]
[[Category:Green political parties in Germany]]