It’s no doubt a sign of the times in Europe: on Sunday, a big winner in Berlin, Germany’s local state elections was something called “The Pirate Party.” They managed to win 15 seats. The win is significant because, as the German press puts it, “the high-profile legislature often sets a tone of sorts for the rest of Germany and sometimes even Europe.
Be on the watch for Pirates…
The Pirate movement started in Sweden in 2006 and is essentially libertarian in its approach: it wants transparency in government, freedom on the internet, and privacy for regular people. It boasts two members of the European Parliament. Pirate politicians are young and relatively inexperienced. But like the Tea Party here in the states, they reflect the frustration that many Europeans feel toward a political establishment that has failed them. Exit polls in Germany shows that the support for the Pirate Party came mostly from voters in their twenties. While opponents say the movement is a joke, members say they are dead serious about pursuing their agenda of openess. “People should just wait until the first meeting in parliament and see what happens,” promises Andreas Baum, the Pirate Party leader in Berlin.