[pp.int.general] Partito Pirata Italiana wants to be renamed "Nazione Internet"?

[Alex Foti]

I looked with initial sympathy at the candidacy for the european
elections of Alessandro Bottoni, self-styled leader of Partito Pirata
Italiano, in the lists of the redgreen cartel Sinistra e Libertà for
the European elections. Couldn't vote for him because he wasn't in my
district. Fact is I have found out from my friend who's among the
organizers of the Italian hackmeeting (Hack it 09 -
http://it.hackmeeting.org/) that he holds positions which i deem
contrary to the essential spirit and substance of pirate party
politics: for instance he's against anonymizers, and also regards no
copyright positions as misguided. This did not prevent him from
campaigning with press ads portraying him as a hacktivist (he was
nowhere to be seen at the hackmeeting, though). He wasn't elected,
since Sinistra e Libertà failed to reach the 4% threshold, but from
his blog I've been unable to find out how many personal votes he got.
What I did find out is that he is thinking about dropping the name of
Partito Pirata Italiano altogether and taking the rightwing sounding
name of Nazione Internet:

http://alessandrobottoni.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/bilancio-eu2009/

"Il PPI viene percepito come l’iniziativa politica di qualche
opportunista senza scrupoli, disposto a cavalcare l’onda del fenomeno
del file sharing, o come una goliardata portata avanti da un gruppo di
ragazzini irresponsabili ed incoscienti. Questo anche a causa di un
nome che avrebbe dovuto essere una simpatica provocazione ma che viene
letto da molti elettori come un manifesto dell’illegalità.
Francamente, comincio a pensare che sarebbe opportuno cambiare nome
all’associazione ed adottare qualcosa come “Nazione Internet”. Ci
risolverebbe parecchi problemi.

"The PPI is perceived as the political initiative of an opportunist
without scruples, read to surf on the wave of filesharing, or as a
practical joke carried out by irresponsible kids. This also due to a
name which should have been a funny provocation but which is read by
many voters as a manifesto for illegality.
Frankly, I'm starting to think that it would be opportune to change
name to the association and adopt something like "Nazione Internet".
This would solve us many problems."

WOT?

Thanks if you have an explanation. I read that the Italian party does
not have full-fledged status. I think you should wait to grant it,
since it does not have yet have sufficiently libertarian credentials.

sorry for the long message.

ciao, lx