Election council scraps non-Europeans from pro-animal party list

The election council has removed the names of three non-Europeans from the list of European election candidates drawn up by the pro-animal PvdD.

South African writer and Nobel prize winner John M. Coetzee, American philosopher and animal rights campaigner Tom Regan and Canadian philosopher Will Kymlicka do not have the right stickers in their passports to be included, the council said.

The PvdD has put together a string of writers, academics and philosophers to act as lijstduwer – a ceremonial position at the bottom of the list of formal candidates. Becoming a lijstduwer – literally list pusher – shows support for the party’s policies without taking a winnable position on the list.

In total, 19 different parties are taking part in the May 22 elections to choose the Netherlands’ 25 representatives in the European parliament.

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