Pirates to parliament

(CS) The Luxembourg Pirate Party is aiming for at least one seat in parliament in the 2014 elections after widening the party programme.

At a party conference last weekend the party elected its new head and voted on a party programme as first steps in a campaign to win 2% in all constituencies and at least one mandate in the chamber of deputies.

Other Pirate Party branches in Europe have achieved successes in past elections, such as the pirates in Berlin making parliament with 7% of the votes.

While Sven Clement will remain chairman of the 170-strong party, the conference brought about the decision to support the split between state and church, as well as an environmental plan.

These additions to the programme widen the scope of the party which has focused on issues of data protection, copyright, citizen privacy and transparency of the political apparatus. The Pirates clearly want to move beyond the image of the "internet party".

Being neither left, right nor centre, the Pirates see themselves as a social-liberal fundamental rights party. Formed in 2009 the young party did not stand in this year's local elections, but is now working hard trying to attract new members and working on its policies.

In an interview with wort.lu/en from earlier this year Clement conceded that the party still had issues to work on, such as abortion. Now, the pirates are steering full steam ahead towards 2014.