Marianne Louise Thieme (1972) is a Dutch politician of the
Party for the Animals (Partij voor de Dieren). She has been Parliamentary
leader in the House of Representatives since 23 November 2006 and an MP since
30 November 2006. Thieme is a jurist by education, an animal rights activist,
and an author by occupation.
Thieme studied from 1991 at the Sorbonne in Paris and at the
Erasmus University. During this time she became a vegetarian. Her interest in
animal rights motivated her to start studying law. Thieme graduated in 1997.
From 1998 to 2001 Marianne Thieme worked at research agency
B&A Group in The Hague. Between 2001 and 2004 she was policy official at
Bont voor Dieren (Fur for Animals, a Dutch anti-fur animal welfare foundation).
Until November 2006 she was the general manager of Stichting Wakker Dier (a
Dutch animal welfare foundation against industrial agriculture).
Marianne Thieme with 19 year old 'Battle Dress' designer Tom Pijnenburg
During the Dutch general election of 2006 the Party for
Animals gained 179,988 votes (1.8%), enough for two seats in the Dutch
parliament. The party became the world's first party to gain parliamentary
seats with an agenda focused primarily on animal rights.
Marianne Thieme always concludes her speeches in Parliament
with the phrase "Voorts zijn wij van mening dat er een einde moet komen
aan de bio-industrie." ("Furthermore we are of the opinion that
factory farming has to be ended."), referring to Cato the Elder's famous
conclusion of his speeches with Carthago delenda est.
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