WXEL: German "pirates" gunning for seat in Berlin (2011-09-13) - 0 views
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Mela Eckenfels on 16 Sep 11BERLIN (Reuters) - Among the posters plastered around Berlin ahead of a regional vote on Sunday, the bright colors, unconventional photography and thought-provoking slogans of the Pirate Party stand well out from the pack. "We have the questions, you have the answers," reads one, and "The Internet in the hands of the users" another, reflecting the party's grass-roots, populist agenda. Dismissed by many as too kooky to take seriously, the Pirates for the first time have a chance of winning a seat in a state parliament -- the party is polling ahead of the Free Democrats (FDP), the junior coalition partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel's federal coalition, at around the 5 percent threshold for entering the assembly. First-time voter Ruben Doehrer, 18, is among those who say they will flock to the Pirate Party on September 18.