Riding a wave of public anger at perceived political corruption in the wake of the 2008 financial crash and the Panama Papers scandal in April, Iceland’s Pirate party looks on course to either win or finish a close second. “We’re called the Pirate party in reference to a global movement of Pirate parties that popped up over the last decade,” parliamentary candidate Smári McCarthy explained. The Pirate party has ruled out any possibility of forming a coalition with either of the current two ruling parties, the centre-right Independence party and centrist Progressive party. Support for the Independence party, the Pirates’ rival for the position of largest party, seems to be holding. As well as promising to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, Iceland’s Pirates have pledged to maintain the country’s economic stability.

Source: The Guardian October 26, 2016 09:40 UTC