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A party that hangs a skull-and-crossbones flag at its HQ, and promises to clean up corruption, grant asylum to Edward Snowden and accept the bitcoin virtual currency, could be on course to form the next Icelandic government.
The Pirate Party has found a formula that has eluded many anti-establishment groups across Europe. It has tempered polarising policies like looser copyright enforcement rules and drug decriminalisation with pledges of economic stability that have won confidence among voters.
This has allowed it to ride a wave of public anger at perceived corruption among the political elite - the biggest election issue in a country where a 2008 banking collapse hit thousands of savers and government figures have been mired in an offshore tax furore following the Panama Papers leaks.
The left-leaning party is part of a global anti-establishment typified by Britain's vote to leave the European Union. But their platform is far removed from the anti-immigration policies of the UK Independence Party, France's National Front and Germany's AfD, or the anti-austerity of Greece's Syriza.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-iceland-election-idUKKCN11Z1RV
(Score: 1) by Stardaemon on Wednesday October 05 2016, @01:18PM
There is a bit of a difference though, in that they are actually a sovereign state, and as such have considerably more power over themselves.
If Iceland decided to have go at conquering Ireland, they could, which is a bit more than your average city.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 05 2016, @03:28PM
Depends on what you mean with "they could". A city could in principle decide to conquer some other city or even country using their police force. They'd of course violate country laws and would quickly be stopped. But then, if Iceland tried to conquer Ireland, they'd violate international laws and would quickly be stopped, too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 05 2016, @05:49PM
Are you sure? We're not just talking Vikings here or pirates there, but Viking pirates!
Let's hope they go raiding in the US and give us a better political system after they've re-conquered Ireland and Great Britain.
(Score: 2) by Bogsnoticus on Thursday October 06 2016, @02:55AM
> "If Iceland decided to have go at conquering Ireland, they could, which is a bit more than your average city."
Only if they picked their time wisely. Like do it before 9am and the pubs are open.
I'd rather fight a sober irishman, than a drunk one.
Genius by birth. Evil by choice.