The Animalist Movement (Italian: Movimento Animalista, MA) is a sister party of and, practically, a faction within Forza Italia (FI), a centre-right political party in Italy. MA's aim is to protect animal rights.[1]

Animalist Movement
Movimento Animalista
LeaderMichela Brambilla
Founded20 May 2017
IdeologyAnimal rights
Animal welfare
Environmentalism
Green conservatism
Political positionCentre-right
National affiliationUs Moderates
Chamber of Deputies
1 / 400
Senate
0 / 200
European Parliament
0 / 76
Website
www.movimentoanimalista.it

Its leader is Michela Brambilla, a former Minister of Tourism in Silvio Berlusconi's fourth government,[2] with Berlusconi himself an ex-member. During the party's founding event, Berlusconi stated that the MA could gain 20% of the vote in the next Italian general election[3] and Brambilla stressed that the party was attracting people from several cultural and political backgrounds.

Supporters/members include Fiona Swarovski, Rita Dalla Chiesa, Marina Ripa di Meana, Andrea Roncato, and Carla Rocchi, president of the Animal Protection National Body (ENPA) association and former member of the Italian Parliament for the Federation of the Greens, a party she left in 2001 because she perceived it as too leftist.[4][5] On August 10, 2017, Rinaldo Sidoli, the Italian Green Party's Spokesperson on Animal Issues joined Brambilla's new party, becoming 'Responsabile centro studi Movimento Animalista'.[6] He stated: "It's the only party advocating for animal protection and is a great example of how politics can take a lead on animal welfare. Greens have made the wrong decision looking too much to left politics and forgetting the meaning of intersectional politics".[7] He resigned on June 26, 2018 saying: "It is not an intersectional party anymore".[8]

References

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  1. ^ Berlusconi tiene a battesimo il Movimento animalista: «Può valere il 20% alle elezioni»
  2. ^ Nasce il partito “Dalla parte degli animali”, guidato da Michela Vittoria Brambilla
  3. ^ Milano, Berlusconi fonda un nuovo partito: "Movimento animalista, alle elezioni potrebbe arrivare al 20%"
  4. ^ "L'Ex dei Verdi e gli altri con il partito animalista: «Berlusconi ha capito, nessun altro si è mosso»". 22 May 2017.
  5. ^ "La scissione animalista, il nuovo partito spacca destra e sinistra". 21 May 2017.
  6. ^ Il verde Sidoli aderisce al Movimento animalista"
  7. ^ "Rinaldo Sidoli, responsabile diritti animali dei Verdi aderisce al Movimento Animalista". Archived from the original on 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  8. ^ Dopo il 4 marzo il Movimento (animalista) si è frantumato. Una mappa"