They don’t have a plan to save the euro or draw down the war in Afghanistan, nor do they have clear policies on an array of issues, but the German Pirate Party is winning converts and elections with its vision of digital democracy through “liquid feedback.”
Despite public relations mishaps and a haphazard organizational structure, the Pirate Party is shaking up the stolid, bureaucratic world of German politics and jolting rival parties with its rising popularity.
On Tuesday night in Neukolln, a disheveled yet trendy Berlin district, the Kinski Bar buzzes like it’s the weekend. The sparsely furnished tavern is filled with casually dressed 20-somethings chatting, laughing, smoking and debating in between bites of pizza and sips of cheap draft beer. As it is every Tuesday, it’s Pirate Party night. It’s a night for political discussion, not a party party, but it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference.
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