Marianne Thieme, leader of the pro-animal PvdD, has blamed the failure of efforts to introduce a ban on the ritual slaughter of animals on ‘an enormous lobby’ by religious parties.

Thieme, whose draft legislation was passed by a large majority in the lower house but is set to be halted in the senate, says she will start working on a new law immediately.
‘I think we have to ask how the upper house can ignore what a majority of the lower house wish,’ she told television talk show Pauw & Witteman.
‘I will be back next week to ask why an animal which is being ritually slaughtered should be conscious of its death for four minutes. There are good anaesthetics,’ Thieme said. The senate will take a formal vote on the legislation next week.
Change of heart
On Tuesday it became clear that the VVD Liberals and Labour (PvdA) had both changed their position on the ban. Christian parties had already made their opposition clear.
A large majority of MPs in the lower house of parliament voted in favour of a ban in June.
Jewish and Muslim groups had campaigned heavily against the ban, saying it would compromise freedom of religion and that there is no evidence animals suffer more than in ordinary abattoirs.