Original scientific paper
LIQUID DEMOCRACY AND DIGITAL NATIVES – PIRATENPARTEI AS A CHALLENGE TO GERMAN DEMOCRACY
Damir Velički
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The article analyses the main characteristics of a new German political party –
Piratenpartei, its genesis and the impact it has already had on German politics.
The success of this party, which now has representatives in the Parliament
of Berlin and four more regional parliaments in Germany city council, is an
indication of the importance of the Internet, as well as of the need to address
new issues on the political agenda. Some of these issues involve free access
to information, as well as the need for abandoning periodical elections as the
main method of citizens’ involvement in politics. Instead, the Piratenpartei, as
well as other similar parties in northern Europe, advocates a more permanent
and direct involvement of people in the decision-making process. This is defined
as the concept of “liquid democracy”. The Piratenpartei has influenced
the German political scene by forcing other political parties to adopt their programmes
if they wish to preserve their influence in German politics. This is
particularly important for the younger generation of voters, who are now increasingly
using the Internet as an instrument of political activism.
Keywords
Piratenpartei; German politics; liquid democracy; digital natives; internet
Hrčak ID:
104159
URI
Publication date:
18.6.2013.
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