The Pirate Party of Slovenia (Piratska stranka Slovenije) is having a constitutional congress on 17 October 2012, and all Pirates in Slovenia are very excited about this. We asked its leader  a few questions about this event and a few other things related to party activities in the past.

Pirate Times: What are the most important topics the Pirate Party of Slovenia focuses on? 

Rok: For  the time being, more or less usual pirate themes, like freedom and privacy on the internet. Government transparency is also there. And of course, reform of copyright and patent legislation. Our program is outlined in 7 brief points, and is also available in English.

Pirate Times: Do you have any unique topics that are specific for Slovenia? Do you plan to broaden your program? 

Rok: The most burning political issue in Slovenia right now is the government paralysis due to political right and left being so busy blocking each other that nothing gets done. Perhaps that is not very unique, but it is  specific enough.

The  program is not chiseled in stone. It will be developed further.  However, we will need to stay focused on core Pirate values for some  time. We don’t see the benefit of getting bogged down in day-to-day politics too quickly. We need to grow before we are ready for the big  league game in politics. This organic growth will take some years.

Pirate Times: How long has the Pirate Party of Slovenia existed?

Rok: For almost three years. The Society of Pirates exists for about two years.

Pirate Times: Currently,  you are very busy with preparations for official registration. Why did these preparations take almost 3 years, and what obstacles did you find on your way?

Rok: It is mainly about the numbers. Slovenia is a small country, 2 million people. We needed time for the movement to take roots, to gain momentum. Ironically, ACTA was very helpful in gaining a critical level of popularity.

Pirate Times: What do you think will be the positive and/or negative results of official registration?

Rok: We are not thinking in such categories yet. We think sooner or later you need to enter the political game, so it is just the question of  timing.

Pirate Times: How does your party get finances? Is it through membership fees, donations or some other ways?

Rok: For the moment it is membership and donations. We are open for ideas like crowdfunding, and are eager to try them out.

Pirate Times: How is your party structured? How many members do you have at the moment? Can foreigners become members of Pirate Party of Slovenia? 

Rok: Foreign citizens are not allowed full voting membership in Slovene political parties by law. We have more than 200 members which is just enough for the official registration. The party has a pretty simple and conventional organisational structure with the activism board, steering board and supervisory board. This is obviously just for getting things started. Until we are ready to accommodate more direct democratic processes by implementing interactive voting  solution for our members, we will continue working for official registration.

Pirate Times: Do you plan to participate in elections? When would that be, and what are your expectations?

Rok: Yes. Our first aim is the EU Parliament elections in 2014. We intend to coordinate with other EU Pirate parties through PPEU. But for the moment our 100% focus is the constitutional congress. First things first.

http://piratskastranka.si/  Pirate Party of Slovenia (Piratska stranka Slovenije)
Featured image CC BY-NC-SA by Sisko

About Matic Urbanija

International Coordinator, Pirate Party of Slovenia/Contributor, Pirate Times/blog: maticurbanija.wordpress.com

 

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The Pirate Party of Slovenia (Piratska stranka Slovenije) is having a constitutional congress on 17 October 2012, and all Pirates in Slovenia are very excited about this. We asked its…