Marianne Thieme facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marianne Thieme
Leader of the Party for the Animals
In office 28 October 2002 – 9 October 2019
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Esther Ouwehand
Leader of the Party for the Animals in the House of Representatives
In office 30 November 2006 – 9 October 2019
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Esther Ouwehand
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 30 November 2006 – 9 October 2019
Chairwoman of the Party for the Animals
In office 28 October 2002 – 28 November 2010
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Luuk Folkerts
Personal details
Born	Marianne Louise Thieme (1972-03-06) 6 March 1972 (age 53) Ede, Netherlands
Political party	Party for the Animals
Residences	Maarssen, Netherlands
Alma mater	Erasmus University Rotterdam (LLM in administrative law), University of Wales Trinity Saint David (MA in theology).
Occupation	Politician, animal rights activist, author
Website	Worldlog

Marianne Louise Thieme (born on March 6, 1972) is a Dutch politician, writer, and a strong supporter of animal rights. She studied law and theology. From 2002 to 2019, she was the political leader of the Party for the Animals. She also served as a member of the Dutch Parliament, known as the House of Representatives, from 2006 to 2019.

Early Life and Education

Marianne Thieme went to Duno College in Doorwerth. After that, she studied in Paris, France, at the Sorbonne from 1991 to 1992.

In 1992, she began studying law at Erasmus University Rotterdam. She focused on administrative law, which deals with how government agencies work. During her studies, she became a vegetarian. Her interest in animal rights was a big reason why she chose to study law. She finished her law degree in 1997.

Working for Animals

After finishing her studies, Marianne Thieme worked at a research company in The Hague from 1998 to 2001.

From 2001 to 2004, she worked for "Bont voor Dieren" (Fur for Animals). This was a Dutch foundation that worked against the use of fur and for animal welfare.

Until November 2006, she was the general manager of "Stichting Wakker Dier". This is another Dutch animal welfare foundation. It works against industrial agriculture, which is a way of farming that often keeps many animals in small spaces.

Political Journey

In October 2002, Marianne Thieme and other people who cared about animals started a new political party. They called it the Party for the Animals (Partij voor de Dieren, PvdD).

First Elections

In the 2003 Dutch general election, the party received 47,754 votes. This was about 0.5% of all votes. It was not enough to win a seat in the House of Representatives. A party needed about 0.67% of the votes to get a seat.

In February 2004, Marianne Thieme was chosen to lead the party for the European Parliament election. This time, the party got 153,432 votes, which was 3.2%. This was three times more votes than in 2003. However, it was still not enough to win a seat in the European Parliament.

Winning Seats in Parliament

During the 2006 Dutch general election, the Party for the Animals received 179,988 votes. This was 1.8% of the total votes. This time, it was enough for the party to win two seats in the lower house of the Dutch Parliament. This was a big moment! The Party for the Animals became the first political party in the world to win seats in a national parliament with a main focus on animal rights. Marianne Thieme became a Member of Parliament (MP) along with Esther Ouwehand.

In the 2010 Dutch general election, the party received 122,317 votes (1.3%). Both Marianne Thieme and Esther Ouwehand were re-elected. Two years later, in the 2012 Dutch general election, the party won two seats again with 182,162 votes (1.9%).

In the 2014 European Parliament election, the party got 200,254 votes (4.21%). This was enough to win a seat in the European Parliament. However, Marianne Thieme was not the main candidate for this election. Anja Hazekamp was the main candidate and won the seat. Marianne Thieme was already a member of the House of Representatives.

In the 2017 Dutch general election, Marianne Thieme was the main candidate for the fifth time. The party received 335,214 votes (3.2%). This was their best result yet, and they won five seats in Parliament!

Famous Saying

Marianne Thieme often ended her speeches in Parliament with a special phrase. She would say, "Voorts zijn wij van mening dat er een einde moet komen aan de bio-industrie." This means, "Furthermore, we believe that factory farming must be ended." This was a way to always remind everyone about the party's main goal.

Stepping Down

On October 8, 2019, Marianne Thieme decided to leave Parliament. She also stepped down as the leader of the Party for the Animals. Esther Ouwehand took over as the party leader in the House of Representatives. Eva van Esch took Marianne Thieme's seat in Parliament.

Personal Life

Marianne Thieme became a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2006. She said it was "a church with compassion and care for our planet."

She has a daughter named Annika, who was born in 2002. Marianne lives in Maarssen, Netherlands. On November 6, 2008, she married Jaap Korteweg, who was an organic farmer. They had a second daughter named Amélie, born in 2012. They later divorced in 2017. In 2021, she married Ewald Engelen. They had been in a relationship since 2018.

See also

In Spanish: Marianne Thieme para niños