Berlin - The Pirate Party, campaigning for internet freedom and civil rights in the digital era, was among the winners in Germany's general election on Sunday - despite sailing short of the required threshold to enter parliament. An estimated 2 per cent of voters expressed their support for the party, founded in 2006 and based on the Swedish party of the same name.
"The election showed that our topics are important and that we will be successful in the future," Pirate Party leader Jens Seipenbush said at celebrations in the trendy Berlin district of Friedrichshain.
In the capital, the party's share of the vote was 3.35 per cent, reflecting Berlin's high proportion of young, internet-savvy voters.
The Pirate Party - which also campaigns for free online access to culture and knowledge - saw its membership swell to around 9,200 ahead of the election, with up to 100 people joining daily.
This follows the success of the Swedish Pirate Party which won a seat in the European Parliament earlier in the year.
Germany's parliament, or Bundestag, only comprises parties that win over 5 per cent of the vote.
