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Pirate Party Wins in Germany

The Pirate party, which ran an irreverent campaign initially focusing on filesharing, data protection and censorship drew 8.5% of Germany’s parliamentary vote, exit polls indicate. 

What’s the Latest Development?

The German Pirate party, a small political campaign that initially focused on issues like filesharing, data protection and censorship, has taken 8.5% of the parliamentary vote in Berlin, replacing a representative of the increasingly unpopular national government. “Their irreverent campaign captured the imagination of young voters as the party expanded its platform from an original focus on filesharing, censorship and data protection, to include social issues and citizens’ rights.” The Swedish pirate party won representation in 2009. 

What’s the Big Idea?

The Pirate party originated in Sweden and gained popularity after the government jailed four founders of Pirate Bay, an online peer-to-peer filesharing platform created in Sweden. In Germany, the Pirate party was created in 2006 to advance the causes of liberalism and self-determination. “While the Pirates were the surprise success story of the Berlin elections, the centre-left Social Democrats are also celebrating after topping the polls with 29.5% of the vote.” The center-right party, F.D.P., was unable to capitalize on popular anger and lost seats. 

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