This week, the end of May 2013, the European Elections are exactly one year out, and as things stand today, Pirate representation in the European Parliament can be expected to triple. This would follow a Swedish re-election, a German entry, and a Finnish entry following Peter Sunde’s candidacy. While the Pirate movement is still nascent, tripling representation would obviously advance the movement.
One year from the European Elections, we can take a quick look at the lay of the land, country by country for the Pirate Party.
In Sweden, it is reasonable that the Pirate Party defends (at least) one seat of its current two. Seeing that Sweden has twenty seats in the European Parliament, you theoretically need 5% of the vote total per seat in Parliament. (Here, we can also observe that the Swedish Pirate Party’s two seats for 7.13% was a rounding error working heavily in the party’s favor – hence, with a repeated result of 7%, one seat can be expected. In fact, anywhere between 4% and 9% will probably yield one seat.)
In Germany, the Piratenpartei is currently polling at between 3% and 4%. It’s possible that this is enough to get to 5% on September 22 of this year, when Germany has its national election, which would be a huge boost to the movement. But even without such a success, 3%-4% is enough for four German seats in the European Parliament (out of Germany’s 96) in the elections in May 2014.
In Finland, it has been announced that Peter Sunde is running for the European Parliament on a Pirate Party ticket, and his fame could quite probably carry his candidacy all the way.
So the Pirate representation in the European Parliament can be expected to triple in two ways – both in terms of countries represented (one to three) and in terms of Members of the European Parliament (two to six).
Additionally, seeing that there are Pirate Parties in 70 countries and counting, there are a number of dark horses that could break through between now and then, particularly among the Pirate Parties in Eastern Europe.
Onward to a brighter future!
I think one thing that’s guaranteed to get us swedes a second run in EU parliament, is to start taking up the problems with the current EU system.
We need to work in order to change big things, like the horrible farming subsidies and other things completely out of whack with the realities of today. By going to election and promise that “The madness must end”, I think much will be won.
Hi Rick, if I as an American citizen wanted to donate money to any of those candidates/parties, would that be legal? I know that in theory there are restrictions on foreign money effecting U.S. elections, and I assume it would be similar in other countries.
To the best of my knowledge, the individual candidates have not been chosen by the respective parties yet. Also to the best of my knowledge, Sweden is fairly unique in having political donations entirely unregulated – anybody can donate any amount.
The PPSE donation page in English is at http://www.piratpartiet.se/donate.
Cheers,
Rick
Thanks, that’s very helpful.
Germany: As far as I know (I have to do with finances on a medium level in the german PP) there is no restriction to foreign donations.
Named donations get (effectively for the PP) 100% on top from the government. Anonymous ones not.
There are restrictions on the amount of the sum, but the smallest I know of is 500€, so if you don’t want to donate more, there should be no problem. For larger sums you can (and possibly should) contact
schatzmeister(at)piratenpartei(punkt)de
i certainly hope at least one Swedish seat gets n. with the way the present government are behaving with this total surveillance which they think isn’t surveillance and is ok to do because it’s done ‘discreetly’, there needs an outside point of view put forward or at least someone with a different point of view to watch what is going on ‘behind the scenes’!
Not gonna happen. People are idiots.
At best, PP will get to keep the two seats.
If people in general were actually concerned with these things, big changes would already have happened. It’s just us “tin foil hats” that actually see what is about to happen, that cares.
Whenever I discuss privacy, freedom of expression or other, related freedoms, I almost invariably get one out of two answers. Either “Thats creepy/bad/dangerous, but it can’t be avoided” or “why do you support the criminals?”
I hope it’s just me being a worthless debater, but I think the problem is bigger than that. Society in general and mainstream media in particular condition people to think these ways. And to bypass all sorts of doubt when seeing mainstream media.
I think the Pirate Party could need some kind of psychology expert to analyze and expose these hidden mechanisms.
Even in Sweden kids and youngsters these days seem really dangerously brainwashed about this “internet hate” which of course is mostly paranoia used to try and boost old-media and allow them to put restrictions on the internet.
I really have little hopes for Sweden.. our current generations are far too easily manipulated. We haven’t had any real oppression in Sweden for the last 100 years. We don’t know what oppression looks like. People in other countries like those in former Soviet Union really know what it looks like. If you weren’t a history nerd in school in Sweden you don’t care to know about those things, and 99% aren’t history-nerds.
The answer is… information and education. Which of course is exactly what our opponents are desperately trying to keep locked in behind copyright and censored on the internet.
Yes, the “internet hate” debate. Maybe it is a problem, but the media is taking it way out of proportion. They even doublethink, they say that the internet hate threatens the freedom of expression because the ones who are hated doesn’t dare to post, and therefore the internet must be monitored, censored, anonymity removed and so on.
I hated history in school, but I have never liked censorship or exaggerated surveillance. With time, i have read a little bit and watched a few documentaries of the history that is interesting, but not much. Lack of history knowledge can’t be the only reason. I think people trust the government, schools and media too much. When I watch the news on TV I often find myself thinking “Is this true, exaggerated, put in a strange light, or a sheer lie?” and “Who would benefit from spreading this kind of information if it isn’t true?”
For 2014 European Parliament MEP seats there is a new arrangement:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pressroom/content/20130308IPR06302/html/EP-seats-after-2014-elections-no-member-state-to-lose-more-than-one-MEP
According to that, for the Germany will be 96 seats.
Thanks, updated article to say that Germany has 96 seats (instead of the current 99).
In Germany there was a 5% hurdle ruled unconstitutional. The government just said it will make a law with 3%.
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