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First Pirate Senator elected in the Czech Republic
On Saturday (20 October) Libor Michalek was elected to the Czech Senate. He was backed by the Pirate Party, the Green Party and the Christian Democrats, so this makes him the first Pirate Senator in the Czech Republic and the world.
Here's a photo of him (on the left):
Michalek's achievement is particularly impressive when you consider that a majoritarian electoral system is used (two-round run off) and in the second round he won a massive 74.59% of the vote!
Rick Falkvinge points out that Michalek is the firast Pirate to be elected to a national parliament:
The race for national parliaments between the Pirate Parties has been on since 2006, and it has remained uncertain which country’s Pirate Party would win it. In Sweden, the Piratpartiet put two people in the European Parliament in 2009 (winning the race to international parliaments), but failed spectacularly in the next year’s national-level elections. Germany, a longstanding favorite, has its Piratenpartei putting 45 people in state-level parliaments, but the national-level elections are not due for another year. In Netherlands, the Dutch Piratenpartij missed a seat in the national legislature by a mere 0,3%. This race is now over, and the Czech Pirátská Strana has won.
Michalek has a background as a whistle blower:
Famous, in his own country, as a whistle blower for exposing corruption in 1996 when he worked for the National Property Fund. In 2010 his complaints about fraudulent manipulation of procurement and tendering led to the dismissal of ministers and top officials. In March 2011, he was awarded the Endowment Fund Against Corruption Prize. In May 2011 he was awarded the František Kriegel Award from Charter 77 for the outstanding achievements in the struggle for human rights and civil liberties.
Michalek's website (in Czech) is here.