Italy: Party Launches Referendum to Abolish Hobby Hunting

Michela Vittoria Brambilla sits in the Italian Chamber of Deputies for Forza Italia and is the founder of the new party «Movimento Animalista».

The former Minister of Tourism has now attracted widespread attention with a bold campaign initiative. She is launching a campaign for a referendum to abolish hobby hunting in Italy.

Her goal is to enshrine “non-human persons” in the constitution. She believes the time has come, as Italian media report.

92 Percent Voted Against Hobby Hunting

There was already a referendum on the abolition of hobby hunting back in 1990. At the time, the required quorum was not reached. However, of the nearly 44 percent of eligible voters who participated, 92 percent voted against hobby hunting.

Brambilla now wants to win over those citizens who in the past did not express their opinion on the matter. The vast majority of Italians are opposed to this anachronistic and violent practice. “The mentality of Italians has changed and we are therefore ready to make a quantum leap in the name of animals and their rights,” says the politician. “Giving rights to those who have no voice is a mark of civilisation.”

Her idea naturally meets with criticism from hobby hunters and hunting associations in Italy. Criticism of hobby hunting is also growing in Switzerland.