In this project, I investigate the rise of populism in Iceland over the last ten years, focusing primarily on the consolidation of support behind the left-wing anti-establishment Pirate Party. Founded in 2012, this... [ view full abstract ]
In this project, I investigate the rise of populism in Iceland over the last ten years, focusing primarily on the consolidation of support behind the left-wing anti-establishment Pirate Party. Founded in 2012, this party quickly became the most high-profile and successful party of the larger, international Pirate movement. Founded on a platform of transparency, human rights, privacy, and individual liberty, the Pirate Party found its niche as the outlet for a burgeoning Icelandic populist movement.
This project outlines the cultural, social, economic, and political reasons for Píratar’s success, beginning from engrained cultural norms and moving through the effects of the 2008 financial crisis on the Icelandic political landscape. Further, it traces the development of the Pirate Party from a fringe group of activists to Parliament’s third-largest party, and it tracks the changes in its platform and tactics along the way. This paper attempts to explain why populism in Iceland centered on the Pirates and other left-wing parties, and why, as Pirate MP Smári McCarthy told me, they “dodged a bullet” of right-wing nativism. Finally, this paper makes predictions on the possible future of the Pirate Party and whether or not it has long-term survival potential.
