6 ms·

So a little background, this looks like backlash from a few very controversial decisions the government has made recently and recent corruption allegations. Th

by gislifb 12y ago

So a little background, this looks like backlash from a few very controversial decisions the government has made recently and recent corruption allegations. The biggest one being; Stopping the nations talks with the EU and a few days ago withdrawing* the application without discussing it in the parliament and putting it to a national vote as both parties promised would be done before the elections. This backlash agains the 'old block' and what is called 'traditional politics' started when comedians, artists and musicians (among others) started the 'Besti flokkurinn' (Best Party) and won the elections for city council in Reykjavík ?five? years ago. People saw that new people and new parties could do a better job then those 'professional' politicians and I think the Pirate Party is riding on that wave and every controversial decision and corruption allegations just strengthens people's believes that politics must change. It won't happen in 2 years or 6 years but we might start to see some big changes in 10 years time! *The foreign minister wrote a letter to the EU to withdraw the application but the EU don't take it as a withdrawal. It's very strange.

johnchristopher 12y ago
> *The foreign minister wrote a letter to the EU to withdraw the application but the EU don't take it as a withdrawal. It's very strange. I would like to make a joke about how one doesn't simply escape the EU (see headlines about Greece's potential exit) once touched but we are way past that level of understanding.
- deong 12y ago
  It seems reasonably clear that the foreign minister had no legal authority to act on behalf of the parliament though. I live in Iceland, if I told the EU to bugger off, I don't expect they'd actually do it.
yodsanklai 12y ago
> This backlash agains the 'old block' and what is called 'traditional politics' It's great that Islanders express their dissatisfaction by reporting their votes on "the pirate party" instead of extreme right parties as we see it happening in some European countries.
- gislifb 12y ago
  Well I'm afraid that we will see a extreme right party in the next elections and I wouldn't be surprised if they got 1 seat in parliament. The progress party made some vague statements which were interpreted (and rightly so) as islamophobic in the last city council elections and that brought them two seats in the council. Before they made those statements they were looking at no seats so there definitely are people that will vote for extreme right ideals.
  - PeterisP 12y ago
    Well, but that result can be considered a good thing - okay, you have a block of voters with opinions that you despise; but now instead of being outside the estabilishment they now have a seat or two to voice their concerns, but everyone knows exactly how small that minority is and the mainstream parties can finally start ignoring that block of voters since they'll vote for that extreme right party anyways.
- contergan 12y ago
  That's mainly because Iceland doesn't have the insane, self-destructive immigration policies a lot of other European countries are currently practicing. That and the constant stream of radical wannabe-communists, which usually come with left-wing politics, are the reason many people turn to the right and extreme right.
  - hanspeter 12y ago
    I don't understand this logic. Are you saying that if ethnic European people are exposed to Africans or Arabs they will by default become racists? Or that if people are exposed to communism they will by default become Nazis?
    - EthanHeilman 12y ago
      The poster is saying that, short term, social change (immigration or political upheaval) brings about a reaction in favor of what is seen as conservative or hardline traditionalists. In many European countries this is a shift to the right. For example Hitler's rise to power was probably aided by Communists attempting to seize power. I'm not sure this is a general rule.
Beltiras 12y ago
It's actually not so strange. The EU is just openly saying what everyone knows is true: This decision is not as formal as the minister of the Exterior would like everyone to believe. The Will of the Alþingi (congressional resolution) is still in force and the majority couldn't assemble votes to have it anulled.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
zhte415 12y ago
Iceland is an interesting political community, which I feel is incomparable to any other country. 300,000 people Everyone knows the other person, or a family member, or a friend, or a friend of a friend. It does not get any deeper than that. New people and new parties were doing a great job of turning Iceland into a hedge fund, and did a pretty good job of that. A pretty successful hedge fund, until everyone in the words realised it was a pretty bad hedge fund. Iceland is searching for a new bedrock. Going back to the old bedrock of fishing and... fishing, is unappealing to some. The political landscape is open to options becauseno one has any answers. But I do see the last decade's rampant financial foolishness having unlocked a desire to cross borders and break out. Lords of fishing and having had a try at finance, why not dominate the finance of fishing across the oceans?
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- pyrocat 12y ago
  Fishing and internet spaceships.
netcan 12y ago
This is what happens when bullies are suppressed. Societies get soft
orng 12y ago
I think you are giving way to much credit to "Besti flokkurinn". Right after the financial collapse there was a cry for change in the political landscape in Icelend and an upsurge in new political parties, some of which where able to get some foothold. People blamed the "old block" for running the country to the ground and it kind of culminating in the people voting for a "joke-party" since most other politicians and parties could be regarded as jokes as well. IMO "Besti flokkurinn" was a symptom and not the cause. Recent events and allegations of corruption are giving new wind to the idea of switching things up and creating a new political scene in Iceland and the Pirate Party are indeed enjoying the benefits of that for the time being.

by gislifb 12y ago

johnchristopher 12y ago

> *The foreign minister wrote a letter to the EU to withdraw the application but the EU don't take it as a withdrawal. It's very strange. I would like to make a joke about how one doesn't simply escape the EU (see headlines about Greece's potential exit) once touched but we are way past that level of understanding.

deong 12y ago
It seems reasonably clear that the foreign minister had no legal authority to act on behalf of the parliament though. I live in Iceland, if I told the EU to bugger off, I don't expect they'd actually do it.

yodsanklai 12y ago

> This backlash agains the 'old block' and what is called 'traditional politics' It's great that Islanders express their dissatisfaction by reporting their votes on "the pirate party" instead of extreme right parties as we see it happening in some European countries.

gislifb 12y ago
Well I'm afraid that we will see a extreme right party in the next elections and I wouldn't be surprised if they got 1 seat in parliament. The progress party made some vague statements which were interpreted (and rightly so) as islamophobic in the last city council elections and that brought them two seats in the council. Before they made those statements they were looking at no seats so there definitely are people that will vote for extreme right ideals.
- PeterisP 12y ago
  Well, but that result can be considered a good thing - okay, you have a block of voters with opinions that you despise; but now instead of being outside the estabilishment they now have a seat or two to voice their concerns, but everyone knows exactly how small that minority is and the mainstream parties can finally start ignoring that block of voters since they'll vote for that extreme right party anyways.
contergan 12y ago
That's mainly because Iceland doesn't have the insane, self-destructive immigration policies a lot of other European countries are currently practicing. That and the constant stream of radical wannabe-communists, which usually come with left-wing politics, are the reason many people turn to the right and extreme right.
- hanspeter 12y ago
  I don't understand this logic. Are you saying that if ethnic European people are exposed to Africans or Arabs they will by default become racists? Or that if people are exposed to communism they will by default become Nazis?
  - EthanHeilman 12y ago
    The poster is saying that, short term, social change (immigration or political upheaval) brings about a reaction in favor of what is seen as conservative or hardline traditionalists. In many European countries this is a shift to the right. For example Hitler's rise to power was probably aided by Communists attempting to seize power. I'm not sure this is a general rule.

Beltiras 12y ago

It's actually not so strange. The EU is just openly saying what everyone knows is true: This decision is not as formal as the minister of the Exterior would like everyone to believe. The Will of the Alþingi (congressional resolution) is still in force and the majority couldn't assemble votes to have it anulled.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

zhte415 12y ago

Iceland is an interesting political community, which I feel is incomparable to any other country. 300,000 people Everyone knows the other person, or a family member, or a friend, or a friend of a friend. It does not get any deeper than that. New people and new parties were doing a great job of turning Iceland into a hedge fund, and did a pretty good job of that. A pretty successful hedge fund, until everyone in the words realised it was a pretty bad hedge fund. Iceland is searching for a new bedrock. Going back to the old bedrock of fishing and... fishing, is unappealing to some. The political landscape is open to options becauseno one has any answers. But I do see the last decade's rampant financial foolishness having unlocked a desire to cross borders and break out. Lords of fishing and having had a try at finance, why not dominate the finance of fishing across the oceans?

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
pyrocat 12y ago
Fishing and internet spaceships.

netcan 12y ago

This is what happens when bullies are suppressed. Societies get soft

orng 12y ago

I think you are giving way to much credit to "Besti flokkurinn". Right after the financial collapse there was a cry for change in the political landscape in Icelend and an upsurge in new political parties, some of which where able to get some foothold. People blamed the "old block" for running the country to the ground and it kind of culminating in the people voting for a "joke-party" since most other politicians and parties could be regarded as jokes as well. IMO "Besti flokkurinn" was a symptom and not the cause. Recent events and allegations of corruption are giving new wind to the idea of switching things up and creating a new political scene in Iceland and the Pirate Party are indeed enjoying the benefits of that for the time being.