This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/26/iceland-election-could-propel-radical-pirate-party-into-power
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Iceland election could propel radical Pirate party into power | Iceland election could propel radical Pirate party into power |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A party that favours direct democracy, complete government transparency, decriminalising drugs and offering asylum to Edward Snowden could form the next government in Iceland after the country goes to the polls on Saturday. | A party that favours direct democracy, complete government transparency, decriminalising drugs and offering asylum to Edward Snowden could form the next government in Iceland after the country goes to the polls on Saturday. |
| Riding a wave of public anger at perceived political corruption in the wake of the 2008 financial crash and the Panama Papers scandal in April, Iceland’s Pirate party looks on course to either win or finish a close second. | Riding a wave of public anger at perceived political corruption in the wake of the 2008 financial crash and the Panama Papers scandal in April, Iceland’s Pirate party looks on course to either win or finish a close second. |
| The radical party, founded by activists and hackers four years ago as part of an international anti-copyright movement, captured 5% of the vote in 2013 elections, winning three seats in Iceland’s 63-member parliament, the Althingi. | The radical party, founded by activists and hackers four years ago as part of an international anti-copyright movement, captured 5% of the vote in 2013 elections, winning three seats in Iceland’s 63-member parliament, the Althingi. |
| This time around, analysts say, it could win between 18 and 20 seats, placing it in pole position to form a government at the head of a broad progressive alliance of up to five parties currently in opposition. | This time around, analysts say, it could win between 18 and 20 seats, placing it in pole position to form a government at the head of a broad progressive alliance of up to five parties currently in opposition. |
| A poll last week put the Pirates, who hang a black pirate flag in their parliamentary office, on nearly 21% of the vote, far short of the 40%-plus it was polling at the height of mass anti-government protests this spring, but enough to leave it and the Left-Green party, on 19%, just 10 points short of a majority. | A poll last week put the Pirates, who hang a black pirate flag in their parliamentary office, on nearly 21% of the vote, far short of the 40%-plus it was polling at the height of mass anti-government protests this spring, but enough to leave it and the Left-Green party, on 19%, just 10 points short of a majority. |
| The party has ruled out any possibility of forming a coalition with either of the current two ruling parties, the centre-right Independence party and centrist Progressive party, and said it hopes to form a pre-election alliance with supportive parties so voters can “know what their vote will mean”. | The party has ruled out any possibility of forming a coalition with either of the current two ruling parties, the centre-right Independence party and centrist Progressive party, and said it hopes to form a pre-election alliance with supportive parties so voters can “know what their vote will mean”. |
| All too often in Icelandic politics, the party said, electoral pledges were reneged on after elections, with “the parties forming a government … hiding behind compromises in coalition – enabling them to cheat voters again and again”. | All too often in Icelandic politics, the party said, electoral pledges were reneged on after elections, with “the parties forming a government … hiding behind compromises in coalition – enabling them to cheat voters again and again”. |
| This election follows the resignation of Iceland’s prime minister, Sigmundur Davið Gunnlaugsson, who became the first major casualty of the Panama Papers in April after the leaked legal documents revealed he and his wife had millions of pounds of family money offshore. | |
| Amid some of the largest protests Iceland had ever seen, the ruling coalition replaced Gunnlaugsson with the agriculture and fisheries minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson and was forced to promise elections before the end of the year. | Amid some of the largest protests Iceland had ever seen, the ruling coalition replaced Gunnlaugsson with the agriculture and fisheries minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson and was forced to promise elections before the end of the year. |
| Gunnlaugsson’s Progressive party is now languishing at around 8% in the polls, barely a third of its score in the 2013 elections. Support for the Independence party, the Pirates’ rival for the position of largest party, seems to be holding. | Gunnlaugsson’s Progressive party is now languishing at around 8% in the polls, barely a third of its score in the 2013 elections. Support for the Independence party, the Pirates’ rival for the position of largest party, seems to be holding. |
| Birgitta Jónsdóttir, the Pirates’ parliamentary leader, has said her party is willing to form a government with any party that subscribes to its agenda of “fundamental system change”, including the introduction of a new, crowdsourced national constitution. | Birgitta Jónsdóttir, the Pirates’ parliamentary leader, has said her party is willing to form a government with any party that subscribes to its agenda of “fundamental system change”, including the introduction of a new, crowdsourced national constitution. |
| Built on the belief that new technologies can help promote civic engagement and government transparency and accountability, the party advocates an “unlimited right” for citizens to be involved in political decision-making, with voters able to propose new legislation and decide on it in national referendums. | Built on the belief that new technologies can help promote civic engagement and government transparency and accountability, the party advocates an “unlimited right” for citizens to be involved in political decision-making, with voters able to propose new legislation and decide on it in national referendums. |
| Although part of a global anti-establishment trend typified by parties on the left such as Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain, and on the right such as Germany’s AfD and Britain’s Ukip, Iceland’s Pirates are also evidence that elections need not necessarily be all about the economy. | Although part of a global anti-establishment trend typified by parties on the left such as Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain, and on the right such as Germany’s AfD and Britain’s Ukip, Iceland’s Pirates are also evidence that elections need not necessarily be all about the economy. |
| Since the 2008 crash when Iceland’s three biggest banks collapsed owing 11 times the country’s GDP, Reykjavík’s stock market fell 97% and the value of the krona halved, Iceland has recovered economically. | Since the 2008 crash when Iceland’s three biggest banks collapsed owing 11 times the country’s GDP, Reykjavík’s stock market fell 97% and the value of the krona halved, Iceland has recovered economically. |
| Helped by a tourism boom – 2.4 million visitors, nearly seven times the country’s population, are expected in 2017 – economic growth is forecast to reach 4.3% this year and unemployment has fallen to just over 3%. | Helped by a tourism boom – 2.4 million visitors, nearly seven times the country’s population, are expected in 2017 – economic growth is forecast to reach 4.3% this year and unemployment has fallen to just over 3%. |
| Unlike some other anti-establishment parties, the Pirates have made clear they have no intention of doing anything likely to upset the economy, and analysts say there is little panic at the prospect of the radical party entering government. | Unlike some other anti-establishment parties, the Pirates have made clear they have no intention of doing anything likely to upset the economy, and analysts say there is little panic at the prospect of the radical party entering government. |
| “Across Europe, increasingly many people think that the system that is supposed to look after them is not doing it any more,” Jónsdóttir said. “But we know we are new to this, and it is important that we are extra careful and extra critical on ourselves to not take too much on.” | “Across Europe, increasingly many people think that the system that is supposed to look after them is not doing it any more,” Jónsdóttir said. “But we know we are new to this, and it is important that we are extra careful and extra critical on ourselves to not take too much on.” |