Bernd Lucke, the head of Germany's euroskeptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, with his four children at an election party in Berlin.







Bernd Lucke, the head of Germany's euroskeptic Alternative

for Germany (AfD) party, with his four children at an election party

 in Berlin.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite falling short of the 5 percent hurdle required to enter parliament, the euroskeptic Alternative for Germany party performed surprisingly well in the German election. Experts say the party shouldn't be underestimated.

After a tumultuous night at party headquarters in Berlin, Bernd Lucke -- head of Germany's euroskeptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party -- was up bright and early on Monday morning, doing an interview on the ARD's "Morgenmagazin" breakfast show.

How the German Pirate Party's "Liquid Democracy" Works | TechPresident

How the German Pirate Party's "Liquid Democracy" Works | TechPresident
BY David Meyer | Monday, May 7 2012

Photo: Bastian Greshake

Personal Democracy Media is thankful to the Omidyar Network for its generous support of techPresident's WeGov section.
In the midst of the political upheaval affecting Europe, a relatively new movement is making stunning progress, particularly in Germany. On Sunday, the Pirate Party entered its third German state parliament in eight months, demonstrating momentum that surprises even its core members. The party is now on track to pick up a double-digit percentage of the vote in next year's federal elections. And it's dealing with this explosive growth through the medium it knows best: technology.
Founded in Sweden in 2006 by Rick Falkvinge and known at first for its stance on reforming copyright to suit the digital age, the Pirate Party began to gain ground in Germany in 2009. That year, the country's family minister proposed blocking extensive lists of websites as a way of combating child pornography. The country's large hacker community cried censorship, and the then-tiny German Pirate Party again reaped the benefits.