Duitse Piraten schrappen openheid na schandalen

Germany's Pirate Party gained unexpected popularity by championing transparency, but then it was used to expose scandals and wage war within the party. Now it has opted for hard-nosed media handlers and internal muzzles.

The conversation has only just begun when Ms. Linke calls out, "Just a moment!" Linke, sitting on a sofa next to Christopher Lauer, head of the Pirate Party's parliamentary group in Berlin's state parliament, waves her hand in the air. "Before we start talking about the issues, let's clarify a couple of questions."