Swedish Pirate Party joins Green/Free Alliance group in European Parliament
Avast ye! We’ve been boarded! After much speculation on who the Swedish Pirate Party would caucus with, we heard today that their sole Member of European Parliament (MEP) will join The Greens/European Free Alliance group.
The Swedish Pirate Party is a party focused on the free exchange of information and are opposed to copyright laws. The party did very well in the past European Parliament elections garnering 7% of the vote in Sweden and one seat. I think it makes sense for the Pirates to work with the Greens because both their policy positions on internet file sharing/free flow of information are similar.
Check out what the Pirates and the Greens had to say about this after the jump.
This is what the Pirates (I’m loving their name!) had to say (rough translation):
a few minutes ago started a press conference in Stockholm, where we announce to the Swedish press and the API that we will put ourselves in the Green Group in the European Parliament, therefore the group Greens / EFA. It is the same group as the Swedish Green Party is in, but without an equally clear left-right-profile Swedish Green Party. It is the same group as the Swedish Green Party is in, but without an equally clear left-right-profile Swedish Green Party. We have received interesting quotes from four different groups, among other liberal group Alde and left group GUE / NGL, but what was decisive was that the Green Group is at the forefront of its work on information policy perspectives. We have received interesting quotes from four different groups, among other liberal group Alde and left group GUE / NGL, but what was decisive was that the Green Group is at the forefront of its work on information policy perspectives.We estimate that we have the best opportunity to achieve results for our policy by the Green Group, and Christian Engström will take place when Parliament opens July 14. We estimate that we have the best opportunity to achieve results for our policy by the Green Group, and Christian Engström will take place when Parliament opens July 14.
With this newsletter I want to tell this to all our members before the press reports about it. With this newsletter I want to tell this to all our members before the press reports about it.
This we did together, friends. This we did together, friends. We have written history. We have written history.
The is also a statement on The Greens/European Free Alliance website:
Pirate Party: Greens/EFA Group welcome Swedish
Pirate Party memberFollowing negotiations, the Greens/EFA Group and the Swedish ‘Pirate Party’ have today confirmed that elected Pirate Party MEP Christian Engström will join the Greens/EFA Group for the upcoming European Parliament legislature.
Greens/EFA Co-Presidents Rebecca Harms and Daniel Cohn-Bendit commented:
“The Greens/EFA Group is delighted to welcome the Swedish Pirate Party, which shares our principles and values in defending internet users’ rights. Christian Engström will have an independent status within our group and he has indicated he will support the Greens/EFA position in areas where the Pirate Party has no agenda.”
Good luck to the Pirates! I’m sure this will be a fruitful partnership. Welcome to the Green/EFA group!
(Thanks to GPW contributor Dave Schwab for the tip)
Great work Walter!
Juergen Trittin, the German Green Party’s lead candidate in Federal elections Sep 27th, visited Washington D.C. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
He visited the IMF in the morning. In the afternoon and evening gave presentations on the Transatlantic Green New Deal.
First rate. For example he pointed out that China will spend $85 billion dollars this year building new rail systems to cut dependence on oil.
This is a key component of the campaign platform of the Transatlantic Green New Deal.
Create One Million new Green jobs in Germany through rail, solar, and wind power.
Thursday and Friday Trittin, and Thea Dueckert (also Green Party member of parlament) traveled to New York City. They are to meet with Wall Street leaders and finance industry titans for presentations.
There was also talk of a meeting between New York City’s Independent Mayor (and Independence Party nominee) Michael Bloomberg (a fan of the Green New Deal), Trittin, and Dueckert.
Trittin was Environmental Minister in both state and federal Green Party lead governments.
He’s a tall dude too. About six foot seven.
Oh… the U.S. Obama Administration is slated to spend between 2 to 3 billion on rail in the U.S. this year.
On new rail less than one billion. That is one eighty fifth of the commie chinese.
Meanwhile the current congress passed another $100 billion dollar war supplemental including wasting another $1 billion subsidy on buying old american made rattle trap autos…
Thus why we call their party the Auto Party..
Walter..
I think you mean the Pirate Party got that percentage in Sweden, where they were awarded one delegate….not Europe wide.
The entire Green group with 50 plus delegates recived between 7 and 8 per cent Europe wide…according to last weeks presentation at the Brookings Institution I attended.
Thanks Jayne, I made it much clearer!
So how is the US Pirate Party doing?
my understanding from reading the website and other statements of the Swedish Pirate Party is that they are a 3 policy party viz
1. free NON COMMERCIAL file sharing
2. Defence of Personal Privacy
3. Reform of patent law
I’ll drink to that!
Particularly agree that whatever the rights and wrongs of existing intellectual property law, attempts to enforce it through erosion of personal privacy are a cause for deep concern. And to what end?
Good to have them on board in the Green/EFA group.