Píratar (xÞ) “The ”

Year Founded: 2012 Captain* Halldór Auðar Svansson Website: http://www.piratar.is/sveitarstjorn/reykjavik/

Party Policies

Describe your party’s agenda for the city in one sentence.

Protection and expansion of civil liberties, with a unique focus on direct democracy and .

Tell us about your party. What’s it all about? Does it have a history? Are you proud of that history?

The Pirate Party was originally founded in back in 2006 and has since spread to over 60 countries. It started as a political movement for reform, but has since taken on a whole range of and human rights-based issues. The Icelandic Pirate Party was founded in 2012, and in 2013 we ran for Alþingi and won three seats there. Now in 2014, we are running in four municipalities in the coming local elections. We are very proud of what the Pirate Party has accomplished both in and abroad. and Christian Engström deserve a special mention for doing some amazing things in the as the first Pirate Party MEP's on behalf of Sweden.

Why should people vote for your party? Why should your leader become the next mayor? How will your leader be different from Jón Gnarr?

A vote for the Pirates is not just a vote for the current candidates but for a unique ideology and legions of dedicated volunteers in Iceland and around the world. It's a vote to empower the people, not the current power structure. Pirates utilize transparency to ensure checks and balances, providing the public with the tools to examine all decisions made by elected representatives. Pirates have a flat structure and while they respect expertise, political decisions are made on an equal basis. One might say that it is not in the Pirate character to flock towards 'strong leaders' and we have not given much thought as to who would be the next mayor. We believe the voters of Reykjavík should be given an option to choose between qualified candidates, but mostly we want to spark discussion about, and define the role and responsibilities of the mayor, and how he or she should be chosen.

What do you admire about the current city council coalition and what it accomplished in the last four years? What do you dislike? What will you do better?

* In keeping with their theme, the Pirates don’t have list leaders, they have “captains.” We appreciate how the advent of the opened politics up for participation by so-called 'regular people' and they really pushed the envelope with the idea people had of what politics is supposed to be about and what's allowed. They entered the arena at a time when people were questioning the essence of politics, and they related to the voters on a human level. Their unconventional politics have allowed politicians to show weakness and admit that they don't know everything.

There has been a great democratic renaissance here in Iceland and all over the world, and new means of conducting democracy have been shaped that represent the environment that both The Best Party and Pirates emerge from. This environment encourages grassroots initiatives and demonstrates ways for direct citizen participation—a matter that is key in the Pirate manifesto. What we will do better and focus on is taking this to the level that we feel that Reykjavík is ready for. We are here to ensure that technology is embraced and utilised for the greater good, not necessarily to introduce technology everywhere, and we are also very concerned about the right to NOT participate in Cyberia, and that technology should be respectful of people's privacy. We believe that the level of services provided is not adequate in many areas and that much time is wasted on unnecessary barriers and inefficient bureaucracy that wastes time, money, and demotivates everyone involved. This can all be improved with the proper use of technology and tried and tested methods that have worked elsewhere. We realise that all this will take a lot of time and effort, but that's exactly what we're going to put into it.

Do you support what your parliamentary counterparts are doing? Would you be doing something differently?

Absofuckinglutely do we support them! We have a great team in parliament. It's hard to say whether or not we'd do things differently since we have never worked there, but the Pirate codex and core policy are pretty clear so there's that. It is a humongous undertaking for a small parliamentary group to even try to be on top of all the issues they need to be on top of, and we're really proud of how diligent they are, undermanned like that. The strong support from the Pirate grassroots community does help somewhat, but it's still a bucket-load of work for three people.

What do you think are the most important issues facing Reykjavík today? How will you resolve them?

Reykjavík faces the same serious issues that are clear on a national, international and global level: A democratic deficit and lack of accountability and citizen involvement in decisions that are of great interest to them. Pirates pledge themselves to strengthen accountable, representative and direct democracy in every way possible, whenever and wherever we can. Due to Reykjavík's size and status as Iceland's capital, it serves as a role model for local governance. We believe that it is imperative to take that responsibility to heart and really give voters the ability to have a say in matters dear to them as they come up, not just every four years. Reykjavík has a great opportunity to serve as a leader in democratic reform and Pirates plan to foster that environment.

In what way will citizens be able to influence policy with your party in city council? Democracy and civic participation come in many forms, and our goal is to offer as diverse a range of means for participation as possible. That is the core of the Pirate platform that we are running on—to give the citizens themselves a voice. We intend to serve as true representatives of the Pirate ideals. Our party is itself wide open for participation and we go to great lengths to put structures in place to ensure that our policies reflect the Pirate values and the collective will of our members. An enlightened debate is a crucial part of the democratic process and civic participation should be encouraged. The Internet is a powerful tool for collaborative democracy and we want to take that tool and utilize its benefits for democratic improvements online as well as offline. We will continually request to be held accountable for what we do and say and promote various outlets for open dialogue and equality, i.e. by advocating for empowering libraries and civic centers as democracy hubs, where citizens can seek assistance and advice on the ways to take part in the city's governance.

What other parties can you imagine working harmoniously with? Are there any parties that you will not work with in a coalition? Why?

Pirates pledge not to be prejudiced and based on that, we ought to be able to work harmoniously with any party that puts civic values at the center of their politics. Cooperation requires compromises, but we are uncompromising on our core values, and believe that democracy deserves a principled respect. Pirates are classically categorized somewhere around the center of the traditional left-right scale, emphasizing strong liberal values and sensible market solutions, with human welfare, civil liberties and freedom at their core. The Pirate principles are ideologically sound—they are simple and easily applied and adapted to local as well as global settings by principled people on either side of spectrum. We believe in transparency and accountability and that will be a prerequisite for anyone who wishes to run the city in a coalition with the Pirate party.

City Planning

What does your party think about the local rental market?

It is in shambles, basically. We want to bring real democracy to the table in this important matter, as in all others. Working alongside other citizens, we aim to gather information and open it up for scrutinising, discussing and brainstorming to find the best actions available for improving the situation.

Will you need to increase the municipal tax in Reykjavík to meet expenditures? Or will you cut other expenditures to decrease the tax?

The current municipal tax is at the maximum legal level so more revenue will not be collected that way...That said, we don't have plans in place to decrease it either. Budgetary issues are something we have yet to go deep into and we believe that it will be easier to get a good overview of them once we are inside city hall. Given the Pirate spirit, we will also approach any lack of funds innovatively, by looking for novel resources for income and new ways to build infrastructure. By opening up the city budget to public scrutiny, citizens and politicians can work on this together. Similar initiatives have shown relatively quick return on investment since the participation of many in reviewing the budget encourages and empowers people to find ways to cut non-essential costs.

Do you approve of the current agenda with regard to city planning? Will you make any changes to it?

We approve of the main goal of urban intensification and feel it is necessary to combat sprawl and foster a great city with diverse forms of city living. Reykjavík will not benefit from spreading itself even thinner than it is already. We particularly like the new paradigm of so-called neighbourhood planning, which aims towards considering each neighbourhood by itself and what is needed there. Neighbourhoods need to be as self- sustainable as possible, and we support attempts to reverse the lamentable trend of local shops and services closing down so people have to commute for basic necessities. The main changes we want to make are related to the methodology of how the agenda is decided—this is one thing we are interested in opening to citizen participation to ensure transparency and collaboration at all stages of the planning process.

Is the tourism boom having a negative effect on city life? Where does your party stand on the growing number of hotels and hostels in downtown Reykjavík? Do you think they are a threat to the city centre, or a welcome addition?

No, we think it is wonderful that so many people wish to visit our city and think that tourism brings many more opportunities than downsides. Tourism is pushing prices up, but at the same time, it is sustaining a growing local design, arts and crafts industry that otherwise would not exist. We know Reykjavík has many wonderful places that tourists aren't familiar with, and think there are opportunities waiting to be discovered. We highly recommend the second floor window at Hallgrímskirkja.

However, the growing number of hotels in Reykjavík is a cause for concern since only four out of 10 are returning a profit at the moment. Having more tourists fill the city coffers is, of course, a good thing, but hotels’ supply and demand must be studied thoroughly. We Icelanders have a poor track record of having a 'Gold Rush' mentality...we need to learn from history and take the time to consider where we're headed.

What ideas do you have for improving the public bus system? Will you continue to make Reykjavík a more bike-friendly capital?

Yes, we want to make Reykjavík, not just more bike-friendly, but also welcoming and accessible to many other different kinds of commuting, such as walking, bussing, skating, wheel-chairing and horse riding. We also want to enable citizens to make their own local commuting decisions i.e. by voting to keep their neighbourhood closed to private cars and keep communally-owned cars instead on the outskirts of the city, just to mention one possibility.

What is your party’s stance on the domestic airport? Right now there is a plan in action that states that the airport isn't going anywhere for now, so there's no rush to decide. As a party we have no formal stance as to where it should be. Our members have mixed opinions and we believe that this is something that needs to be decided in collaboration with all interested parties to ensure that the decision has as wide a support with the people (both here in Reykjavík and the rest of the country) as possible. Democracy is about informed debate and informed majority decisions and we believe that when we have a situation where a large majority of the people are against the city's planned fate for the airport, something needs to be done to settle the issue. The city needs to show that they respect the majority opinion and to give it fair consideration. It's not healthy for democracy when the people get the feeling that an agenda is going to be pushed through no matter what the will of the people might be.

Does your party have any plans for recycling?

Yes, we think everybody should do it and think that the city should continue to support such efforts. We're wide open to interesting ideas, though, and we're really just getting started with shaping policy and understanding the different issues facing the city. We don't like dust and litter, either.

What do you think of Reykjavík Energy and how those affairs were handled?

The current majority seems to have handled what was a hugely indebted company as well as could be expected. They're on the right track there.

Social Issues

Jón Gnarr has placed a big emphasis on human rights worldwide. Will you follow in his footsteps? Do you, for example, plan to end Reykjavík’s partnership with Moscow?

Pirates are big on human rights and the expansion of civil liberties and Jón Gnarr definitely deserves praise for making Reykjavík a beacon for human rights. That being said, there is certainly room for improvement, especially when it comes to the handicapped, the mentally ill and the houseless (others call them the homeless). We have no plans to end the partnership with Moscow because we think they will benefit more from a frank and honest friend.

Does your party believe gender inequality is an issue in Reykjavík? If so, what does your party plan to do to combat it?

Gender inequality—as well as many other forms of inequality—is an issue everywhere, including Reykjavík. While some people still suffer violence or injustice because of their gender, we cannot say that equality has been reached. Women, men and gender minorities should feel safe and accepted in Reykjavík and know that they are respected and protected. Politicians wield decent amounts of power and social capital that can be used to tackle social inequality, and we believe Reykjavík should continue to be a place of equality, acceptance and tolerance.

Where do you stand on asylum seeker issues? Is the process of reviewing their applications working? Does it need to change?

It has become pretty obvious that the situation that asylum seekers must face when coming to Iceland is bleak. The Dublin Regulation is most often cited as the reason for why we cannot do any more for asylum seekers, but we Pirates believe that there is much more room for flexibility when people come to Iceland seeking asylum. All that is lacking is the will.

How do you plan to tackle immigration issues? Do you think the city should help immigrants assimilate better in Icelandic society?

We are pro-immigration since we feel it enriches society. The city can and should do more to assist immigrants with assimilation and learning useable day-to-day Icelandic. One idea for improvement is to provide greater first language support for second- generation immigrants, since it's been shown that when children can retain their native language, they learn other languages faster and better. Allowing children to retain their original language and customs, in short, actually helps with assimilation rather than hinders it. Reykjavík could also take a more proactive approach towards informing immigrants about their rights and about services available. It doesn't help that the new version of the website for the city of Reykjavík, reykjavik.is, is only in Icelandic right now.

Does your party have a stance on the role of religion in city governance or education?

Pirates believe in separation of state and church and do not see a role for religion in government except as a guaranteed private choice. Governments should be based on secular principles that respect freedom of religion, where no religion has special status over other religions. Religion should be taught in schools as an academic subject; as a practice it should be confined to the private sphere and religious organizations. This certainly doesn't mean that people, even officials and teachers, can't talk about their religious beliefs publicly (, yo), but there are certain operational boundaries to be respected. Different things should be rendered unto different authorities, so to speak.

What is your opinion on the city financially backing cultural events like RIFF? Will you increase, decrease or keep cultural expenditures at the same level as they are now?

Pirates think that the city should support cultural events, especially those that are proven to bring visitors as well as culture and esteem to the city. Financially backing cultural events should always be looked at on a case-by-case basis and certain fundamental criteria should be met. Support needs to be transparent and provided on a professional basis, keeping in mind that the city must be able to justify why it would support some events and not others.

Does your party plan to increase the service to those with disabilities, for example, by making the city more wheelchair-accessible?

Yes, we have more than one disabled candidate on our ballot, including a candidate who is confined to a wheelchair who has repeatedly demonstrated the insane barriers that he meets in his day-to-day errands. All citizens ought to be able to seek city services in person, by phone or through digital channels, and services should be designed to handle the special needs of all constituents.

Unemployment in Reykjavík was 4.9% in the last quarter of 2013. What steps will your party take to reduce unemployment?

Employment is related to a number of different factors, not all of which can be affected at the local level. However, studies have indicated that civic engagement (dedication to volunteering, mutual aid, cooperation, etc.) is a significant factor when it comes to employment and this is definitely something that the city can promote—and in fact, the Pirate platform is basically all about getting people engaged and helping them to become fully active members of society, in cooperation with others. We also believe that Reykjavík city ought to and can cooperate with innovation centers, business and academia to encourage new business opportunities.