Germany: Pirate Party Woos Voters with Transparency
from Der Spiegel:
The Pirate Party, which made international headlines after its success in state parlimentary elections in Berlin last year, stands to make gains in two other German states this spring. The party's pledge to foster transparency and participation is resonating with voters who are fed up with local corruption.
Dennis is 21 and has a chubby, boyish face. According to the information he provided on "Pirate Wiki," the "information and coordination platform" of the Pirate Party, he is 35 percent "cosmopolitan," 72 percent "secular" and 57 percent "visionary." He claims to have had his "first pirate thought" on the day he was born.
Dennis, a web designer, is sitting with other Pirates at the Hemingway Restaurant in Norderstedt on the outskirts of Hamburg, where they hold regular informal gatherings. He and his fellow party members and guests will discuss how the Pirates in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein intend to replace the "backroom politics" of the established parties with transparency and civic participation. When a journalist asks him what sort of pirate thoughts he had shortly after birth, he smiles and says: "That was just lighthearted nonsense, I should really change that sometime. The way it looks now, things are gradually getting serious."
Pollsters predict that the Pirate Party will capture between 5 and 7 percent of the vote in Schleswig-Holstein's state parliamentary election on May 6 (see graphic). In the western state of Saarland, the Pirates, who describe themselves as the "party of the information society," was taken by surprise by the recent collapse of the coalition of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens. With new elections set for March 25, its entry into the state parliament is seen as likely. The party is polling at around 5 percent, which is impressive for a party that didn't even have a state-level platform in early March. ...............(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,821093,00.html
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Th' scurvy pirate parrrty, which made international headlines after its success in state parlimentary elections in Berlin last year, stands to make gains in a pair other German states 'tis sprin'. th' parrrty's pledge to foster transparency 'n participation be resonatin' wit' voters who be fed up wit' local corruption. Dennis be 21 'n has a chubby, boyish face. Accordin' to th' information he provided on "scurvy pirate Wiki," th' "information 'n coordination platform" 'o th' scurvy pirate parrrty, he be 35 percent "cosmopolitan," 72 percent "secular" 'n 57 percent "visionary." He claims to have had his "first scurvy pirate thought" on th' day he was born. Dennis, a sea designer, be sittin' wit' other band 'o pirates at th' Hemin'way galley in Norderstedt on th' outskirts 'o Hamburg, whar they hold regular informal gatherin's. He 'n his fellow parrrty members 'n guests gunna discuss how th' band 'o pirates in th' northern German state 'o Schleswig-Holstein intend to replace th' "backroom politics" 'o th' established parties wit' transparency 'n civic participation. When a journalist asks him what sort 'o scurvy pirate thoughts he had shortly after birth, he smiles 'n says: "That was just lighthearted nonsense, I really change that sometime. th' way it looks now, thin's be gradually gettin' deadly serious." Pollsters predict that th' scurvy pirate parrrty gunna capture between 5 'n 7 percent 'o th' vote in Schleswig-Holstein's state parliamentary election on May 6 (spy wit' ye eye graphic). In th' western state 'o Saarland, th' band 'o pirates, who describe themselves as th' "parrrty 'o th' information society," was taken by surprise by th' recent collapse 'o th' coalition 'o th' conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), th' business-friendly Free Democratic parrrty (FDP) 'n th' Greens. wit' new elections set fer March 25, its entry into th' state parliament be seen as likely. th' parrrty be pollin' at around 5 percent, which be impressive fer a parrrty that didn't even have a state-level platform in early March.
